Assassin's Creed: The Mass Effect
by TomTheCat1
Summary: The Reaper War, 2186. Even in the face of complete annihilation, The Milky Way still suffers from infighting, some of which has been raging for thousands of years. As the last surviving member of the Assassin Brotherhood, Abigail has one chance to bring an end to the Templars, and to Cerberus.
1. Trouble Brewing

"Abstergo Entertainment is already well known for huge advances in technology." Professor Simon Hathaway says, standing on a stage with the 'Abstergo' logo behind him. "The Animus. The ability to view memories in three dimensions. Reliving the past. But what if…" He pauses, allowing a tension to form. "...we could do more? That's exactly what we've done. The previous iterations of the Animus went to the past using memories and genetic coding. Using a similar concept, along with some scientific predictions, we have done more. Introducing...The Animus Quantum. Where previous devices allowed going to the past, this one...can show the future. A massive step forward for Abstergo Entertainment, Abstergo Industries, and the scientific community as a whole. Which rings true of our motto: "_We change the world every day, in a hundred different ways."_

* * *

The year 2186

The Citadel

A flash of black and red slips through the crowd of panicked civilians. Gunfire and explosions ring out across the normally peaceful Presidium as men in white and yellow armor march in, wiping out any resistance. Reaching the railing, the figure looks down at the chaos below. Several levels down at a dizzying height, a group of Citadel Security officers are engaged in a firefight against a massive squad of soldiers. Among them is one moving in a different direction, towards the elevators to the Embassies. The figure pulls on a pointed hood and quickly descends the identical Presidium levels with spider-like reflexes. She takes position over a hulking soldier who looks like the leader and lets go of the railing, hidden blades extended. She lands feet first onto the unsuspecting Centurion's shoulders and pulls him down, slipping in a quick stab under his helmet, slitting his throat. Several Troopers nearby jump in surprise, and the Assassin uses it to her advantage. Two of them train their sights on her. She grabs a third and stabs him through the shoulder with one of her blades, pulling him in to take the shots.

The falling bloodied Trooper reveals two confused ones with now overheated weapons. The Assassin dives between them and pulls the legs out from under one of them. In a panic, he grabs his buddy as he falls, pulling them both down. The Assassin quickly pivots and subdues the both of them. By now, the rest of the Troopers and Guardians have taken notice.

A Trooper raises his rifle to fire, but the Assassin kicks his legs out from under him. At the same time, a second swings his rifle's omni blade at the Assassin's head. She parrys the swing, taking hold of the Trooper and spinning him around so they are back to back. The Assassin pulls the second Trooper up and over her head, dropping him on the first. She rips the rifle from his grasp and stabs the blade through both of them. The Guardian approaches next, but before he can act, the Assassin kicks his shield into him, stabbing a blade through the slot into his face. The last Trooper raises a shock dagger and starts to swing. The Assassin's blade connects with the armor on his forearm. Her other blade comes in and stabs him in the side. In surprise and pain, the Trooper drops his dagger, and the Assassin plunges the blade into his now exposed neck. As he falls, she takes notice of the surviving security officers, who stand in awe at what the just witnessed. Before any of them can say a word, the Assassin quickly vanishes.


	2. Meanwhile, on The Normandy

**Twenty minutes earlier…**

**SSV Normandy SR2**

"...Valern out."

Commander Jane Shepard stands in the Comm Room, looking at the spot where the Salarian Councilor's hologram just dissolved from.

"_Dammit, Udina." _She mutters to herself. "_If only Anderson could've stayed a little longer…"_

"Commander." Comm Specialist Traynor's voice chirps over the intercom. "There's another incoming message. From Admiral Hackett."

"Put him through." Jane replies. A hologram of the admiral appears moments later.

"Commander. I'm glad I caught you."

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"I know someone who you may be interested in meeting. I'd rather not discuss the details, but she can help with our...Cerberus problem. She's on a special mission against them, and her success could mean the end of a conflict that's been raging for...well...let's just say since before the Romans, and leave it at that."

Jane frowns slightly, leaning on the QEC console.

"Aren't the Reapers a little more important?" She asks.

"Yes they are, but Cerberus working against us makes it even worse. They are a distraction that needs to be eliminated as soon as possible. I've sent a brief dossier on our friend to your comm officer. It should answer some questions. Any more, you can ask in person. Meet her at the Human Embassy on the Citadel. Hackett out."

Jane leaves the comm room with a feeling of annoyance.

"The last THREE years…" she says to herself. "Now the Reapers are finally here, and everyone is still saying 'Do this first. Do that first.'"

While rambling in her own head, Jane nearly walks straight into Traynor.

"Commander?" She asks with a slightly worried expression. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Sorry. Just...lost in thought. Hackett said you have something for me?" Jane says, changing the subject.

"Well, this data packet is spotty at best." Traynor says, handing the tablet over. "It may as well have been written on swiss cheese. First name is Abigail. Grew up on Sirona, a small colony out in Ursae Majoris. Not much else."

What little information there is doesn't do anything to set Jane's frustrations at ease, but it does raise curiosity. In Abby's picture, there is a small symbol on the tip of her hood; a triangle with a rounded bottom. She taps a few buttons on the tablet.

"EDI? Can you find anything on this symbol?"

"Nothing solid." The AI replies after a moment. "It appears many times throughout history, and some believe them to be a complete myth. A small faction called the Assassin Brotherhood. The group emerges and vanishes again repeatedly since it's founding in prehistoric times. The first recorded date of activity is 48BC. The last time the Brotherhood was seen was the year 2012 AD, when the last known active member was killed. Anything else...you'll have to ask whoever you're meeting."

Jane nods. "Plot a course for the Citadel, Joker." She orders.

"Aye aye." Her pilot replies.

"Huh…" The Commander muses. "Sirona…"


	3. Crossed Blades

"Three on one, pal." Jane says defiantly to the Cerberus agent. "It's over."

"No." He says with a sly grin. "Now it's fun."

Councilor Valern stands between the agent, and Shepard and her team consisting of Garrus and James. All three have their sights trained on the agent.

Suddenly, a fourth person materializes behind the agent. Thane, holding a sword and pistol.

"Four." He says as the agent glances over his shoulder.

Then, another drops in from somewhere above, wearing a black hooded jacket with red accents and two very long blades extended from her wrists.

"Five." She chirps snarkily.

Before the fifth can take much of a stance, the agent targets her first, delivering a swift kick that sends her flying into a nearby glass table, shattering it. He then sets his sights on the Drell, and the two start open conflict.

The fifth person, whom Shepard guessed was the Assassin she was supposed to meet, stands up and instinctively pulls the Salarian Councilor to safety.

"You Abigail?" James asks.

"Yes! Fight now, talk later!" Comes the reply as the Assassin quickly heads back to help Thane. James looks to Garrus, and the Turian shrugs in response.

The Cerberus agent shoves the Drell away just as the Assassin comes back, clashing her wrist blades against his sword. The two tangle with each other repeatedly, neither able to break the other's defence. Abby suddenly loses her balance, falling to the floor in an awkward heap. The agent raises his sword only to be distracted by Thane, instead stabbing him.

"Thane!" Shepard and Garrus shout in unison as the agent begins his escape, running down the stairs back to the walkway outside. Abby enters pursuit first, not slowing down as the agent hops the railing and instead following him. He lands more cleanly than her on top of the car below, with the Assassin nearly falling off. The car takes off, with a C-Sec cruiser taking its place. Shepard and her team enter it after tending to Thane.

"I'm on him, Shepard!" Abby announces over the local comm channel as the trio take off. They level off a little ways behind the suspect car just in time to see Abby be kicked off of it.

"Woah - aaaaaaaAAAAAA!" Her shout is cut off by landing on the C-Sec car's windshield, shattering it.

"You got him, huh?" The Turian says sarcastically.

"...ow…" Comes the pained reply.

The Cerberus car returns a moment later with the agent jumping off and onto their car. Before anyone can react, he stabs his sword through the car's engine core, disabling it. Shepard begins to lose control as the agent casually hops back into his car and pulls away, in the direction of the other Councilors. Abby clings to the car for dear life as it begins to rapidly descend towards a strip of shops on the Presidium.


	4. Benning

**Benning**

**Arcturus Stream, Euler Cluster**

**One Week Ago**

**WANTED**

**By Order of Cdr. David Amherst**

***Abigail's picture taken from a security camera***

**CRIMES:**

**Murder**

**Violent acts against**

**Cerberus Peacekeepers**

**Terrorism**

Abby punches the digital display with a mixture of disgust and genuine understanding, denting the screen and making the words unintelligible.

_"Well, sure I killed all those soldiers, but Terrorism? Really?"_

She continues on her walk to the Cerberus command center in the city. The commander there is next on her Templar hit list.

Up ahead in the street, a group of Peacekeepers heads in her direction. Abby tugs her hood further down, inconspicuously looking for a way around.

These Peacekeepers aren't like typical Cerberus soldiers. They wear white and black cloth uniforms with yellow highlights in place of heavy armor, similar to C-Sec on the Citadel. For weapons, most carry either Blunt or Shock Batons, with Officers sometimes wielding pistols like Talons or Carnifex.

"Hey! Hold it, you!" One of the Peacekeepers shouts at her. Abby has been caught, but she's not under arrest.

Not yet.

The group comes closer, with one taking the lead. Abby slowly raises her hands, keeping her head down.

"Take off that hood." The Peacekeeper orders. A devilish smirk crosses Abby's lips as he comes closer. The others begin to form a half-circle, surrounding her. The man in front reaches out to pull her hood of.

"I said, take off tha-" Abby cuts him off by taking hold of his extended arm. Her Hidden Blade deploys, skewering him through the wrist. Then the other into the man's side. The other Peacekeepers stagger back in shock as their comrade falls to the Assassin's feet, her blades gleaming crimson.

"It's her!" One shouts. "The killer!" They all ready their melee weapons to take her on. Abby defends herself from her first attacker, easily knocking away his baton swing and slipping in a quick kick to the groin. The Peacekeeper keels forward, only to take one of the Assassin's blades through his eye. As he falls, another comes up from behind. Abby blocks his attack as well, stabbing him repeatedly in the torso with both blades. He staggers for a moment, barely standing, until Abby lightly pokes him with one finger and he falls back lifelessly.

"Move! I have a shot!" The Officer calls out, drawing her pistol. Thinking quickly, the Assassin dives to the right, grabbing one of the Peacekeepers to take the incoming rounds. She drops him and closes in on the Officer, helplessly fiddling with her overheated weapon. Abby knocks the gun away before delivering a kick to the Officer's left knee, easily breaking it. While she stumbles to the ground, the Assassin moves behind her, swiftly slitting her throat.

Only three left.

First, a simple parry, Abby pulling the Peacekeeper's arm into hers and behind her back. Breaking it at the elbow, with the finisher being a stab to the neck. Another comes up from behind. The Assassin blocks his swing, holding his arm in place while using the other blade to chop it off. The man screams in horror, only to be cut off by a stab to the chest. The last Peacekeeper raises his baton, enraged by the merciless slaughter that has befallen his comrades. Abby blocks with both blades just above her head. Gritting her teeth, she pushes his attack away and quickly stabs him in the stomach before the man can recover. He falls to his knees in front of the Assassin, who lines up her blades at the Peacekeeper's neck before making a scissor-like motion, swiftly beheading him.

Retracting her blades, Abby looks around at the carnage all around her.

_"Well...maybe 'Terrorism' isn't such a stretch after all." _She thinks to herself with a chuckle.

The few civilians who were around are long gone, so the Assassin moves on. Off in the distance, in another part of the city, gunfire breaks out. Several Cerberus shuttles fly past in that direction. Abby ducks into an alley and opens her Omni-tool, tapping into Cerberus' planet-wide communications.

_"...small Alliance team has landed downtown." _A voice says over the static-choked line. _"Commander Shepard may be with them. All available units respond immediately."_

"It's about time the Alliance showed up." Abby grumbles, quietly padding her way down the alley. "Shepard is a welcome distraction."

_"Patrol Theta-Nine here. Got unit Yankee-Six down on Plum Street. Could be the HVT. All patrols keep an eye out."_

"Figures."

The Cerberus command center is nestled between several normal buildings, and once was one itself. The only hints to it's true nature would be the large Cerberus banners and the high number of Peacekeepers and regular soldiers, most of the latter quickly leaving after the Alliance announcement.

There are far too many Peacekeepers around to take on at once, let alone sneak past on the ground. They would likely warn the commander as well, and he could slip away. Looking around, the Assassin finds the surrounding buildings perfectly suitable for climbing, as well as one window of the command center rather close to an opposite balcony. With skills acquired through years of training, Abby starts to climb. She slips through an open window on the floor below the top, finding an abandoned apartment. The sound of boots in the hall cause her to make herself even quieter, slinking to the apartment door like a mouse. The pneumatic hiss of the door is covered by a Peacekeeper knocking loudly on one further down the hall.

"See? I told you." Says an annoyed voice. "Romeo team swept this place twice last week. It's still empty."

"I know, but we have to keep it up. Perimeter security, ya'know?" Their partner replies.

"Didn't you hear the NET? Yankee-Six got jumped right down the street. Don't you think that's a bit more important than searching empty buildings?"

Directly ahead is the stairs leading to the balcony she saw earlier. Abby moves to them and starts to climb, but the toe of her boot catches on the top step. She stumbles, silently cursing under her breath.

"Woah, woah. What was that?" The second voice asks.

"Probably the next patrol, since Amherst is so obsessed with this building." The first quips.

"Viking-Two!" One of the voices calls out. "Mathers! Tracey! That you?"

The Assassin, meanwhile, has already found her way to the balcony. A clothesline is strung up from above her head to the building opposite.

_"For folks so adamant on perimeter security, they aren't very good at it." _Abby muses as she climbs up and onto the line, quickly scurrying across. She steals a glance at where she came from to see two men poking around in the room the hid in while they dawdled downstairs. Looking around and seeing no prying eyes, Abby quietly slides open the window and steps down.

She was in.

* * *

Commander David Amherst was a tall, wiry, paranoid man who always tried to cover up those points by being tactful, sneaky, and diligent with his troop movements. His efforts didn't go unnoticed, as according to his information, The Illusive Man still believed he and his men were still in the Horsehead Nebula at Cronos Station.

Luckily, they were low on the radar from the beginning and would likely not be discovered.

The Reaper War is taking its toll on the galactic population, and Cerberus was no exception. Add on their losses over the previous years with Projects Lazarus and Overlord both taking deadly turns, as well as the Alliance suddenly taking great interest in their operations, and Cerberus is quickly running out of manpower in the 'Soldier' department.

Amherst and his men arrived on Benning under the pretense of protecting it from the Reapers after they destroyed the spaceport as well as neighboring Arcturus Station. With the Alliance stretched too thin to respond, and the helpless population at the mercy of the Reapers, it seemed perfect. For a while.

Over the last few days, the civilians have been resisting his men's efforts, with the aid of a hooded 'vigilante' type who has stopped his Peacekeepers from doing their jobs, even going so far as killing some of them. She is now a priority target for elimination. A shame, really. She has undeniable skill in combat, and she isn't bad on the eyes.

Idiots. All of them. They don't realise that the Alliance isn't coming to save them. Cerberus can, and is trying to, but they keep resisting.

A sudden noise in the otherwise quiet room makes the commander look up from his notes and maps, only to find himself face to face with death.

* * *

"Hello, Commander." Abby says devilishly from her place seated on top of him.

"Here to turn yourself in?" Amherst replies shakily, trying to mask his sheer terror with casual defiance. "That is very admirable of you." He eyes her up and down. "While my men may not like it, I suppose I could be convinced to let you live."

Abby deploying one of her blades and holding it up to the commander's neck quickly silences him.

"You're lucky to still be drawing breath." The Assassin growls.

"Why? Because I'm trying to save the people of Benning from the Reapers? Because Cerberus is doing what your Alliance is too weak and afraid to do?"

"You know where my allegiance lies."

"Yes." He says with a quick nod. "With a virtually extinct cult Hell-bent on destroying what we are working so hard to achieve. You yourself are lucky to have been away from Arcturus Station."

Amherst smiles when he sees Abby's demeanor quickly crumble. Anger turns to sorrow as her thoughts drift to her Brothers and Sisters who died on the collosal station just a short FTL jump away. She is all that is left of the Brotherhood. The other Assassins, and their Mentors, gone.

"Your own empire is crumbling." She retorts, pulling herself from her mind. "Cerberus is being wiped off the map, and the Templars just as quickly. As long as I am here, the Brotherhood lives on."

"I could say the same." The commander says. "Even after you kill me, the Templars will continue to rebuild. Pick up where we left off. The only problem is that by slaying me, you doom the people of this planet. The Alliance can't protect them. _You _can't protect them. Cerberus can. We don't even have to be involved. The Alliance will lose, and so will the others. You will seal the fate of every living thing in the galaxy."

Abby shakes her head after a moment.

"We'll see about that."

She pushes her blade down, swiping to the side and slitting the commanders throat. He stops moving after a few seconds and Abby stands, pausing to reach into the man's shirt and produce his token items. The Templar Cross hangs on a necklace along with a Deist Flame icon. She removes the necklace, placing the icon in the commander's open hand, before quickly and quietly leaving the room.


	5. Sisters in The Brotherhood

**The Citadel**

**Present day**

"Everyone back to the elevator." Lieutenant Commander Williams huffs to the Human, Turian and Asari Councilors. "We have-...wait. Shepard?"

Both groups look at the other and each other in confusion.

"Shepard's blocking our escape!" Councilor Udina shouts accusingly. "She's still with Cerberus."

"Udina, let me handle this. Shepard. Guns...down. I'll only ask once."

"You know me better than this, Ash." Shepard replies desperately.

"Wait…" The Assassin says after a tense moment. "Ashley?" She retracts her blades and takes a step forward, removing her hood. A long, jet-black braid falls down past her shoulders.

"Abby?" Williams nearly shouts in disbelief, slightly lowering her gun.

"You've been fooled, all of you." Shepard declares. "Udina is behind this attack. Councilor Valern confirmed it."

"You have no proof." Udina says tauntingly. "You never do."

"There are Cerberus soldiers in the elevator behind us!" The Commander lowers her rifle and points to the door. "If you open that door, they'll kill us all."

Councilor Tevos expresses uncertainty.

"We've mistrusted Shepard before." She says. "It did not help us."

Udina walks away in frustration.

"We don't have time to debate. I'm overriding the lock."

Shepard and company raise their weapons again, training them on Udina. Ashley steps in front of them, but at the last moment…

"I'm going to regret this."

The Marine turns around, aiming her weapon at the man she's supposed to be protecting.

"No." Abby replies. "You won't."

Ashley shoots a smirk over her shoulder before taking a step towards the Human Councilor, pistol ready.

"Councilor. Step away from the console." She orders.

Udina shakes his head at her.

"To Hell with this." He starts typing a command, and the door behind Garrus starts to unlock. The Turian flashes everyone an expression of concern. Tevos walks up to Udina, trying to get him away from the console. The man gives her a heavy shove, drawing a pistol and aiming it at the helpless Asari on the ground.

"Gun!" Ashley cries.

Before anyone can act, the unhooded Assassin extends a blade and pivots it with her fingers, removing it from its track. She throws it at the Human Councilor and it strikes him like a bolt of lightning square in the chest. He staggers backwards and falls to the ground lifelessly. Everyone else meanwhile has turned their gaze to the Assassin, her throwing hand still extended. She sheepishly returns her hand to her side.

"Nice throw, Katana." James quips.

"Tactful, as always." Garrus mutters under his breath.

Councilor Sparatus helps Tevos to her feet. Abby approaches Udina first to retrieve her blade.

"Get the Council back and cover that door." Shepard orders, following Abby. Her team, along with Ashley, form a semicircle around the remaining Councilors.

"Now Udina, I didn't expect." The Assassin pipes up, planting her foot on the man's shoulder and leaning down to retrieve the blade in his chest. With a sharp tug she pulls it free, shaking off some excess blood before returning it to the cuff of her sleeve. "And I know about nearly all of Cerberus' sympathisers." Flexing the blade a few times, she doesn't notice Shepard off to the side curiously studying her.

"The door!" Sparatus suddenly calls out. The Commander and Assassin turn to see the door being cut open from the other side with an Omni-tool. Everyone readies their weapons, only to be caught off guard by C-Sec's own Commander Bailey.

"Bailey?" Shepard asks with a confused tone.

The uniformed man stows his weapon and brushes himself off.

"Got here as fast as we could, Shepard." He says, taking a look around. "Looks like you er...took care of things."

"Commander." Councilor Tevos speaks up after a moment. "You said Cerberus was targeting _us._ Where did their soldiers go." Sparatus plasters on his signature look of suspicion.

"Cerberus was right here," Bailey explains. "but they beat feet into the Keeper tunnels when the found out _we _were comin'. Sorry, Councilor. I'll say it plain: Shepard just saved the lot of you."

The Councilor's faces change to expressions of gratitude.

"Then you have saved my life twice now, Commander." Sparatus says. "I owe you a personal debt, and one on behalf of Palaven."

"You don't owe me anything, Councilor." Shepard replied with her usual modesty.

"Do you have any idea why The Illusive Man would do this?" He asks.

"No." Shepard says. The Turian dips his head with disappointment. "But I plan to find out."

* * *

**Later that afternoon**

**Docking Bay D24**

"What is _my _sister doing on _your _ship?" Ashley demands as her conversation with Shepard begins to come to a close. "With all those knives, and...whatever she was wearing?"

Shepard holds her hands up and shrugs. "I didn't realize who she was until the standoff earlier. This morning Hackett told me to meet her here. He sent a brief dossier with no more than ten words on… Huh." She muses. "_That's _why Sirona sounded familiar. And her first name. You mentioned her during our chats on the SR1." Ash nods at the memory.

"I barely recognise her now…" The Marine looks over Shepard's shoulder. "Speak of the devil."

"Ash!" The Assassin shouts from down the hall, jogging towards the two women.

"Abby!" Ashley catches her younger, slimmer and shorter sister in her arms. The two hold each other for a long moment, and Shepard privately muses that she couldn't imagine the shock and confusion her friend must be feeling.

Ashley is the first to pull away, looking her sister up and down.

"Thanks for not making me use these." Abby says, holding up her sheathed blades. "It isn't pretty."

"What is with those?" Ashley's avalanche of questions finally breaks free. "What's with this hooded jacket get-up? Where have you been?!"

The Assassin holds up a hand to silence her emotional sister.

"It's a _really _long story, and I'd rather explain on the ship with everybody present." Thinking about what she just said, Abby whips around to face Shepard.

"If you'll allow it of course, Commander. It's your ship, and I'd hate to intrude…"

The Spectre waves off the concern.

"Nonsense. I'm not going to make my best friend leave her sister behind."

The comment makes the typically thick-skinned Marine blush slightly.

"Besides, the way you saved Vega's sorry ass from that Phantom earlier? There's no question, Abby. Welcome aboard."

"I _have _to hear about that." Ash says with a grin.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

*INTERCEPTING CERBERUS SECURE COMMUNICATION*

_"Yes?"_

_"Things didn't go as planned. The Council is still in control and Udina's dead."_

_"Udina was expendable."_

_"There's more: The Brotherhood still lives."_

_"So Arcturus wasn't the end of them after all?"_

_"There's at least one left. She may have been behind Amherst's death on Benning."_

_"She will be dealt with, as will the others."_

_"Now what?"_

_"Come back to me. There are other plans in motion."_

_"Understood."_

_"I'm surprised you let Shepard get the better of you."_

_"It **won't **happen again."  
"Hmm... We'll see."_

*CALL DISCONNECTED*


	6. Welcome Aboard

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**War Room**

"Don't tell me you have _another _Kasumi Goto on your hands, Shepard." Dr. Liara T'Soni says suspiciously, crossing her arms and shooting a slight glare in Abby's direction.

Garrus shakes his head at the young Asari. "While she does bear a resemblance." He says, glancing at the Human in question. "As well as a similar combat style, I'd say no. I doubt even Miranda could make another Kasumi, even if she wanted to."

"Miss Goto is irreplaceable." Shepard says in agreement. "Trust me, Liara. Abby is quite different."

The Assassin simply looks around at all the unfamiliar faces, her new crewmates. James and Garrus she's met already, while Shepard briefly introduced her to everybody else. Liara, a young Asari who seems mature beyond her years, and clearly very close with the Commander. A sleek robot called EDI, who is apparently controlled by the ship's A.I. with the same name. Steve Cortez, Shepard's shuttle pilot and close friend of James. An alien even she didn't recognize called Javik, who insisted that he is in fact Prothean. And finally, Samantha Traynor, the ship's communications officer who also seemed to be making eyes with the Assassin. There was no denying her looks, or her accent, but Abby still found it a little odd since they had just met.

"I don't know who you're talking about," She speaks finally. "but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a good thing I'm not like this Kasumi character."

The Assassin receives a nod from the veteran Turian at her side.

"Imagine thinking you're alone in your quarters," He explains. "only to hear the hiss of your door opening and closing, followed by a sinnister giggle."

She shudders at the thought while Shepard stifles a laugh.

"Well, Abigail." Says Samantha. "Welcome to the Normandy. I can give you a tour of the ship, as I believe Admiral Hackett wishes to speak to the Commander on the Vid-Com."

The small group splinters to go their separate ways. Abby follows Traynor back out to the CIC.

"You saw all of this already." Samantha explains briefly. "The Galaxy Map, my station. The Bridge is up that way." EDI passes by as she says this, waving and giving polite "Hello"s to some of the crew.

"What's up with that robot?" Abby asks quietly as they enter the elevator.

"Well, EDI is the ship's AI. That robot _used _to work for Cerberus." She looks the young Assassin up and down. "You know Cerberus people. Ever heard of a Doctor Eva Core?"

"Sounds familiar."

"Well...she was once the robot. Shepard tangled with her on Mars, where your sister was injured. Vega brought the bot on board, and EDI was able to gain control over it."

"Yeah. Ash did say something about that… She _definitely_ left the synthetic bit out, though. I guess she didn't want to admit that she of all people got her ass kicked by a robot."

"Commander Williams does seem like the type." Traynor says with a laugh.

The elevator door opens and reveals a large plaque with several names on it. A few jump out at her: Kaidan Alenko, Richard Jenkins, Mordin Solus, though Abby feels like she doesn't need to ask what the names mean.

"This is the Crew Deck." Traynor begins. "Any down time anybody gets is usually spent here. Over here are the Crew Quarters themselves." The doors open with a hiss, revealing a slightly cramped feeling room with dozens of bunk beds.

"I believe your belongings are already here." The pair enters and Abby walks the short length of the room, eventually finding her rather small duffel bag.

"Huh." She says. "So this is going to be my home from now on."

"At least you'll be on top." Samantha says hopefully. "Female Head is right across the P. way, too. Observation Decks are on either end." Samantha leads Abby out of the Crew Quarters. "Mess Hall is out here, Sick Bay is to Starboard, and Liara's...lady cave is to Port, the old X.O.'s Quarters. Doctor Chakwas may want you to check in for a physical. She keeps a record of everyone on the crew."

The Assassin can't help but be amazed at the size of the deck, given how small the ship looks from the outside.

"Main Battery is all the way at the end." Traynor says, concluding the tour of the deck. "If you're ever looking for Garrus, you'll find him there." Abby follows her back to the elevator. "So what do you think so far?"

"It's...very impressive." Abby replies with a nod.

"This deck is Engineering." Samantha explains as the elevator passes Deck 4. "There's not much to see here, unless you'd like to meet the Engineers or that nosey reporter Shepard brought on board."

"Reporter?"

"Yeah. A one Diana Allers from ANN. She might try to talk to you, but just play along. She's not like that awful al-Jilani from Westerlund. From what Garrus has told me, the Commander almost punched her. Twice!"

"I probably would have." Abby replies.

"And last but not least, this is the Shuttle Bay." They exit into a cavernous room with two parked Kodiak Shuttles. Cortez is busying himself working on one of them, it's boosters flaring up every now and then. James, on the other hand, is in his own area doing pull-ups on an overhead bar. Abby finds her eyes lingering on him for a long moment.

"James does that." Samantha has to nearly shout over how loud the room is, also seemingly loud enough for the Marine in question to hear. "He'll probably try to 'woo' you, but just ignore him. He's just taking the piss."

"All the ladies love the show, Traynor!" James calls back. "You should see the turnout I get every day!"

"Yes." Cortez fires back at his friend. "Two. Very impressive, Mr. Vega! It's certainly an improvement over one, that one being the Commander just to kick your ass in a spar!"

James drops down and turns to face us. "Come on, man. That was one time!"

"Not to mention giving her the nickname 'Lola'!" Steve quips further.

"Este chico…" James grumbles. "She likes it! In fact, Abby here already has a new name: Katana. Sleek, stylish ...sexy, _and_ great with a blade."

The Assassin arches a brow at him and smiles. "Who knows, James? Maybe one day, you'll get well acquainted with these." She holds up both hands and flexes her wrists, exposing her Hidden Blades in a show of force. This earns a laugh from Cortez and James simply grins and holds up his hands in surrender.

"When that day comes, Abby, I'll die happy."

Sheathing the blades, Abby doesn't notice the Specialist at her side tugging on her blouse collar, desperately trying to hide her growing blush.

"Well, Abby. That's the ship." Traynor says somewhat shakily. "Welcome once again. If you have any questions, you know where to find me."

As Traynor retreats towards the elevator, James approaches the Assassin.

"I have an idea, Abby." He proposes. "How about we get the whole crew down here so they can see what you're capable of."

"I like the sound of that." Cortez says as Abby nods in agreement. "Hey, Traynor! Think you can make that happen?"

"I'll see what I can do. Don't rough up our new friend too much." She replies with a smile as the elevator closes.


	7. Plans and Practice

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**C.I.C.**

Commander Shepard and Liara T'Soni leave the War Room each wearing an expression of frustration.

"_More _trouble with the Quarians." Shepard grumbles to her companion. "I warned them that stirring the pot with the Geth was a bad idea last year."

"Did you actually expect Han'Gerrel to listen?" The Asari asks. "You know what type of man he is."

Jane can't help but sigh. "I know. I was just hoping this wouldn't happen while the Reapers are bearing down on us. Still, it'll be nice to see Tali again."

"_If _they didn't exile her..."

"They have no reason to! The charges were dropped. Garrus and I made sure of that."

The conversation is interrupted by a skittish Comm Specialist nearly being run over by the Commander yet again.

"Sorry, Traynor. This isn't the best time."

"I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am. It's just that Lieutenants Vega and Cortez wish to set up a display of our newest teammate's abilities." Samantha explains. "She seems to have made an impression on them."

Liara nods at the idea. "That could be useful. I may be able to find out more about this organization she's from as well."

"Yeah, okay." Shepard agrees. "Sorry for snapping at you, Sam. That was just an...unpleasant conversation."

"I understand, Commander."

"Joker! Plot a course for the Far Rim. Let me know when you find the Quarian Envoy Ship. I'll be in the Shuttle Bay." Shepard orders.

"Copy that, Boss Lady." Joker replies casually.

The trio enter the Shuttle Bay to find Abby helping James up off the floor. He laughs off a comment made by Cortez and the group look over to acknowledge the Commander's arrival.

"Jesus, James." Abby says, shaking a pain out of her hand. "What's that jaw of yours made of? Concrete?"

"Ha!" He replies. "Ya'know, Lola over there said something similar, but she wasn't talking about my mouth." The Marine shoots Shepard a sly grin.

"Yeah you're right." Jane fires back. "I was talking about your head!" The remark earns a snicker from Liara.

Steve looks around and notices the growing crowd. "Okay! We've got a full house now! Abby, do an unarmed takedown again." He glances at the Marine at his side. "Ash, get a load of this." Ashley crosses her arms and watches her sister intently. After giving a brief instruction to James and Garrus, she turns to face the former. Garrus comes up from behind and grabs Abby in a choke hold while James aims at her with a practice rifle. Using her light weight to her advantage, the Assassin pushes her feet up, kicking the rifle away with one and hitting James with the other. The force of the kick makes the Marine fall and the Turian stumble back. Abby uses the remaining momentum to pole vault over Garrus' head and pull him to the floor, pulling a hand back and deploying a blade.

Abby stands and helps Garrus up, receiving a small applause and some "Hooyah!"s from the crowd.

"Wow." Is all Ashley can manage. She, along with Liara approach Abby while Garrus and James look each other over for injuries.

"This 'Assassin Brotherhood' is intriguing." Says Liara excitedly. "What more can you tell us about it?"

"There isn't much that I haven't already told." The Assassin replied with a shrug. "We fight to maintain freedom and peace, and the one thing standing in our way is the Templar Order, whom we've been fighting throughout recorded history." She looks at Liara for a moment. "Human history, anyway. The Brotherhood was officially founded in Egypt between 48 and 47 BC, but cells have been around since even earlier. The very first was created in the Roman Empire in 456 BC, and this war against the Templars has been going on since then."

"How is it that the two of you could be fighting for so long?" Liara probes further.

"Ideas are powerful, Doc. This fight is like day versus night." Abby looks down. "It may never end. The Order I hail from had it's Sanctuary on Arcturus Station. As far as I know, I'm the last of my kind."

"Were you close to your compatriots?"

"It's called a 'Brotherhood' for a reason. We were a family. I was on Benning when the station went down, and nearly everyone else was on board. A few may be on other frontier planets, somewhere in space, or wherever the Templars or Cerberus may be found."

"I understand fighting Cerberus," Ashley says. "But how are they related to the Templars?"

"The two support each other, since they have some similar goals. Cerberus wants a new society with Humanity put first, and the Templars want a new society with them at the center. In a way, one hand washes the other. Some of the highest ranking people in Cerberus are Templar sympathisers, possibly even The Illusive Man himself. The highest up that I know of is his lap dog Kai Leng, who I nearly caught on the Citadel."

"Cerberus is a massive group with endless wealth and resources." Liara points out. "How do you hope to take them on alone?"

"I won't be. I'm here on the Normandy, aren't I? Just about everyone on this ship has an axe to grind." Abby gives her sister a pointed look at that. "Regardless, if I bring these people down, it will end this war. The targets I have are the very last members of the Templar Order."

"Is there anyone else you know of?" Shepard asks, adding herself to the conversation.

The young Assassin thinks for a moment. "Well, there's Oleg Petrovsky. A General. He has an entire fleet at his disposal and is practically TIM's right hand man."

"That's funny." Jane replies. "Aria T'Loak asked me for help with him. His fleet has captured Omega."

Abby gives a look of skepticism. "I've been to Omega. It's not the type of place someone like Petrovsky would go, much less try to conquer."

"Well, he's there. Aria wants help taking him down."

"Then I'm coming with you." Abby declares. "I've helped Aria with a few...errands here and there."

"Hold your horses. We aren't going there yet. First: we need more fleets for the fight against the Reapers, and it seems like the Quarians want to toss their hat into the ring."

"Great." Abby sighs. "Quarians mean Geth. I. Hate. Geth."


	8. Quarian Diplomacy

**Later That Day…**

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**Port Observation Deck**

The Williams Sisters stand before the massive window separating them from the inky blackness of space. All around the Normandy, Quarian ships try helplessly to dodge the Geth fighters swarming around like angry bees. One rather large Quarian vessel breaks off to take a shot at the colossal Geth Dreadnought that Shepard and her team are preparing to board. The Quarian frigate turns and fires a full broadside salvo at the dreadnought, only for most of the shots to bounce off the shields. The rest either miss, or crash harmlessly against the hull of the massive ship, their impacts resembling popcorn popping in a frying pan.

"What a shit show." Ashley grumbles. As Abby nods in agreement, a Geth fighter rakes the now alone frigate with a strafing run aft to forward, blasting several holes in its hull. The fighter passes, followed by another that finishes off the frigate, blasting it open like a soda can. One of the pieces crashes into the docking tube that Shepard just entered. The tiny figure of the Commander turns to see her ship slowly drifting away. Deciding to be nosy, Abby tunes her omni-tool to the Shore Party frequency.

_"So I'm guessing you'd rather not solo the Dreadnought?"_ The Normandy's pilot, who Shepard had called 'Joker', asks cheekily.

_"Not if I can help it."_ Jane replies with a similar tone. _"Have Tali look up the ship's schematics. I'll head in and find another entrance."_

The Normandy subtly drifts away from the Dreadnought and moves to a different area of its colossal hull. Abby catches a glimpse of Shepard as they pass. She's slowly continuing into the docking tube, her MagBoots being the only thing keeping her from drifting away. The blue-striped armor-clad figure disappears again as Joker navigates to the next docking tube, this one being in not much better shape than the last thanks to the Quarians, but it's still intact enough for Tali and Garrus to begin crossing slowly.

_"Hey, take your time, Commander. We're fine."_ Joker says. _"Until, ya'know...they look out a window."_

_"Geth don't use windows, remember?"_ Shepard replies. _"'Structural weakness.'"_

_"I bet they're over there thinkin': There's no way those Organics would pull the 'no windows' thing TWICE."_ Our pilot mutters.

"So how did you end up on the Citadel?" The Assassin asks her sister, although she already partially knows the answer.

"I was...injured during the Skipper's trip to the Mars Archives." The Marine replies with a shrug. "Sick Bay wasn't staffed yet, and T'Soni couldn't do much other than basic first aid."

Abby nods. "I'd heard about that." A sly grin crosses her face. "I also heard that you got your ass kicked in by a robot."

Ash, beginning to turn beet red, glares at her little sister. "Who told you that?!"

"That is for me to know, and for you to never find out." Abby says simply.

"Probably Vega." Ashley grumbles. "Him and his big mouth. Or maybe Traynor? Always so nosy..." She looks up as a Geth fighter screams past their window. "Sorry where was I? Oh right. While I'm at Huerta Memorial, I get paid a visit by Councilor Udina who comes with an offer." She pauses for a moment. "To become a Spectre."

"No way!" Abby finds herself nearly squealing. It wasn't often that good things happened to her Leatherneck sister during her service. She'd been a Gunnery Chief for years, just like how their father had never risen above Serviceman Third Class. "What did you say?"

"At the time, I didn't have an answer. It's a huge deal, especially for Humanity. There was only one at the moment."

"Commander Shepard." Abby says.

"Right. And speaking of, she showed up as Udina was leaving. I saw them give each other looks as they passed. I guess he was still holding onto that grudge against her for picking Captain Anderson as the first Councilor. Then Shepard and I worked through whatever drama I was holding onto because of her working with Cerberus."

"I'd heard about that, too."

"Why was Shepard never one of your targets?"

"Because she was actually doing something about the Collectors, while the Alliance sat on their hands on the sidelines."

Ashley bites her lip to avoid an outburst at the comment, however correct it was.

"Besides, I enjoy living, and people who are enemies of the Commander don't live very long."

The Marine can't help but chuckle at the comment. "Anyways." She continues. "Eventually I said 'Yes' to the offer."

"The second Human Spectre…" Abby says, giving her sister an almost overwhelming sense of pride. "I feel like I should bow or something."

"Well, I have already made a name for myself." Ash says. "The first Spectre to kill a member of the Citadel Council. Not to mention their own Councilor."

"Udina never should've been on the Council." Abby says in her sister's defense. "While he was more than qualified, being a member of the Council means being able to be cooperative with other races and helping them wherever possible, while at the same time furthering your own race's interests. He was only interested in the latter. In less of a "Let's do this to benefit everyone" way and in more of a "Hostile Takeover" way."

"Shepard saw right through him." Ashley says, shaking her head. "A shame Anderson stepped down and returned to the Alliance."

"Yeah, but who else in their right mind would stay behind on Earth? Anderson is the only one for that job."

Near the bow of the Dreadnought, it's massive rail gun charges and fires at a formation of Quarian LiveShips. The round nearly hits one, but a Frigate pushes forward to take the shot, the impact shearing the ship clean in half. Abby tries not to think of the thousands of Quarians who just lost their lives in the blink of an eye. While the LiveShips try to flee, their defenders attempt to cover them by firing at the Dreadnought and trying to distract it. The rail gun fires again, narrowly missing one of the Quarian warships while the sisters watch helplessly. The rail gun begins to charge a third time, but suddenly stops, as if jammed. The Quarians wisely seize the opportunity to escape to a safer area of the star system.

"How long do you think this'll take?" Abby asks innocently.

Ash shrugs. "About an hour. Maybe less. It depends on the mission."

One sister looks to the other.

"And...if the mission is to infiltrate a Geth Dreadnought?"

"That's a new one." Ashley replies with a nod. "We mowed down hordes of Geth back in the day, but fighting through a stronghold can take a while."

Suddenly, a wave of energy emanates from the Dreadnought. A fighter in front of the window is hit by the wave and it's engines suddenly stop.

_"Shepard to Fleet."_ Abby's Omni-Tool chirps. _"Dreadnought drive core is offline. We're making our exfi-WOAH!"_ The Commander is suddenly cut off by a blast hitting the Dreadnought's hull, without a shield deflecting it. After a moment, the entire Quarian Heavy Fleet opens fire on the defenceless ship.

With Shepard and company still on board.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Ashley demands to no one in particular. "The plan was for the Quarians to retreat! And Shepard is still in there!"

All anyone on the Normandy can do is watch as the Geth ship is pummeled with volley after volley from the Quarian guns. Shepard and Tali's repeated pleas for them to cease fire go unanswered, and the Dreadnought slowly begins to break apart. Joker detaches from the docking tube and pulls the Normandy away, so as not to be hit by any supposedly friendly fire.

_"Joker!"_ Shepard's voice breaks through the deafening explosions from inside the ship. _"We're taking off in a Geth fighter. Sending coordinates for rendezvous."_

Moments later, a lone fighter flies away from the Dreadnought, the Quarians still blasting away. A few more members of the crew have joined the Williams sisters on the observation deck, some slackjawed, watching as the Dreadnought suddenly bursts apart into dozens of pieces. Everyone can almost hear the Quarians cheering as the Fleet flies away victorious.

"I bet the Skipper will have a word or two for Admiral Gerrel." Ashley says cheekily.

"Let's go hear it." Abby replies with a grin.


	9. An Unlikely Ally

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**War Room**

The Assassin and Marine duo arrive to find the Quarian Admirals arguing, something which, according to Shepard, happens quite regularly. Admirals Shala'Raan and Daro'Xen stand in the middle of the room challenging Admiral Han'Gerrel, loudly shouting at him for abandoning the retreat plan.

"Your unilateral strike endangered us all!" Raan declares. "I should charge you with treason!"

"I was within my authority as Admiral of the Heavy Fleet." Gerrel counters.

"And what of Captain Shepard?!" Raan gestures to the Commander as she steps out of the Comm Room. "And Tali'Zorah?!" The young Quarian stands behind Gerrel, her arms crossed and tapping her fingers on her shoulder.

"They escaped unharmed." Gerrel glances at Shepard.

"Shepard, the mission parameters changed. You're military, you understand that." He says somewhat arrogantly, as if nothing happened.

The Commander steps towards him.

"I understand you wasted your chance to withdraw safely." She leans in close, getting into his face with a narrow-eyed glare.

"The Dreadnought was a perfect target." Gerrel replies, seeming unfazed, as if he's experienced Shepard's intimidation style before.

"This is exactly the type of shortsighted, bloodthirsty behavior I was worried about." Jane growls at him, the heat from her breath slightly fogging the Admiral's mask.

"If you could retake Earth with a little friendly fire," Gerrel retorts, wiping his mask defiantly. "You'd do it in a heartbeat."

The Commander shakes her head and steps back slightly.

"You're lucky I need your ships, Admiral." There is a noticeable bite in her words.

"Well if you're quite finished, I've got to get back to the Fleet." The Admiral says. "Raan, we'll talk later." He turns to leave, leaning over to give Tali a shoulder check.

"Bosh'tet." She says under her breath. "He nearly got us killed, Raan."

Admiral Gerrel reaches the exit of the War Room, where Ashley and Abby have been watching the exchange. The two don't move for a moment, and the Quarian glances between them. Eventually, Ash slowly steps aside and gestures to the door, which opens with a quiet hiss. Gerrel shakes his head at the humans and brushes past them.

"What an ass." Abby comments as the door closes. "You ever met him before?"

"Other than Tali, I've never met another Quarian _period_." Her sister replies as they head towards the Commander. "But after what we just saw, that's all I need to know about him."

"You must understand." Admiral Raan begins. "The Geth inflicted heavy casualties until you disabled the Reaper signal."

"You said they have a Planetary Defence Cannon?" Shepard asks.

"Had." Raan corrects her. "Admiral Koris sacrificed his own ship to destroy it."

"Farewell, Qwib Qwib." Jane says quietly. Tali facepalms behind her.

"He crash landed on Rannoch."

"The Normandy can assist with the rescue effort." The Commander replies.

"Thank you, Commander. I'm pleased to see your time with Cerberus didn't change you. I believe the worst is over. The Geth no longer have the programming upgrades given to them by the Reapers."

Suddenly, a computerized voice announces its presence in the room.

"Shepard-Commander." It says. "We are here to offer assistance."

Everyone turns to see a Geth unit standing where Ash and Abby came from.

"What the hell is this?!" Raan demands. The Assassin instinctively draws her blades.

"Wait!" Shepard calls. "Everybody calm down. Legion is a friend." She explains. "The Reapers were using him as a signal booster to broadcast commands. We freed him."

"It." Tali clarifies. "We freed 'it'." Abby retracts her blades as the Geth unit approaches.

"Fascinating." Admiral Xen finally speaks up. "With some study, I may be able to use it to find weaknesses in the Geth consensus."

"Legion helped me in the fight against the Collectors." Shepard says.

"So did your rifle." Xen replies indifferently. "Should I be worried about its feelings as well?"

"I don't think you want to continue with this line of thought, Admiral." The Commander shoots her down. "Legion is my friend. More importantly, it's our best source of information on the Geth."

"The scientific benefits…"

"Are off the table."

Admiral Xen shrugs in defeat and steps behind Raan.

"What can you tell us about the Geth?" Raan asks. "How will they react without Reaper upgrades?"

"This is a false assumption." Legion explains, it's voice almost perfectly monotone, flanging more than Garrus' does. "You disabled long-range control, but the Old Machines built a base on Rannoch for short-range direction."

"The Geth still have Reaper upgrades?" Raan exclaims.

"Correct. They are currently disorganized, but once short-range communication is established, they will recover."

"Keelah… We need to warn the Fleet. Xen, coordinate with Gerrel. Move!" The younger Admiral hurries off.

"We need to find the Reaper base." Shepard declares. "Where is it?"

"Unknown."

"Find it."

"Acknowledged. We do know the location of a server where Geth fighter squadrons are controlled." Legion turns to the holographic display table and it zooms in on Rannoch, highlighting a spot on the planet. "These squadrons are currently targeting Creator Liveships. Disabling them will limit casualties. We offer assistance."

"Thanks." The Commander says.

Abby approaches Legion, curiously looking it over. The Geth swivels it's head after a moment, looking down at her.

"I've never seen a friendly Geth before." She says. "Let alone spoken to one."

"Few Organics have." Legion replies. "Shepard-Commander was the first since the Morning War, when the Creators attempted to destroy us. The only others are the crew of the Normandy, including Creator Tali'Zorah." Legion looks past Abby in the Quarian's direction.

"All things considered, it's good to see you again, Legion." Tali says somewhat hesitantly, as if she can't believe the words are coming out of her mouth.

"So we're going to be working with the Geth now?" Ashley asks. "And I thought the partnership with Cerberus was pushing it…"

"You misunderstand, Williams-Lieutenant Commander." Legion clarifies. Ashley appears surprised at the Geth's knowledge of her name. "We are not aligned with the programs who serve the Old Machines. We oppose them in the same way you do."

"We?" Abby asks.

"There is no individual. For example, there are currently 3577 programs active within this platform. This platform is their window into the world. It is how they see and experience things. When this platform encounters something new, the programs within form a consensus, or a decision on how to respond."

"Sort of like a vote?"

"Correct. The decision with the most support is the one that is followed. For example, this platform first encountered Shepard-Commander aboard the destroyed Old Machine. At first, she was considered a target, but she was clearly opposed to the heretic Geth who served the Old Machines. We were opposed to the heretic Geth as well. The consensus decided that cooperation would benefit mutual goals. Shepard-Commander later accompanied us to the heretic station and hijacked the heretic Geth consensus, convincing many of them to join us. Some are still here. As a result, the number of Geth who currently serve the Old Machines and fight the Creators is greatly reduced. We repaid Shepard-Commander for her help by joining her in fighting the Collectors, who also served the Old Machines."

"That's...quite the tale, Legion." Ashley says.

"As we stated before." The Geth machine concludes. "We offer assistance in taking down the Heretic server. The operation will begin on your go-ahead, Shepard-Commander."

Jane Shepard nods, looking back at the map of Rannoch. Everyone else disperses, leaving Abby standing alongside the Commander.

"I have the feeling you've dealt with Admiral Gerrel before, Shepard." She says.

"That I have." Shepard replies with a nod. "Just not to this magnitude. According to Hackett, he and his Heavy Fleet have been causing trouble with the Turians for quite some time." She steps away from the holographic display, Abby following, until they arrive at Legion's side. The Geth steps back from the terminal it was poking around in.

"Shepard-Commander. You opposed Creator Admiral Xen's attempt to confiscate our platform."

"She's done enough already." Shepard replies, crossing her arms.

"Your assistance continues to be noted."

Abby politely steps away as the conversation continues, instead turning back to the display and pulling up an image of Omega. As she studies it, her sister arrives at her side.

"I need to get in there." The Assassin growls, quiet enough that the Commander likely won't hear,

"You will soon enough." Ash replies. "There's a galactic war going on, and Cerberus doesn't have many holdouts left. Petrovsky isn't going anywhere, Sis."

Abby looks down at the deck, then back up as a portrait of the General in question appears next to Omega. She glares at him, a flame igniting in her eyes. The Marine is taken aback.

_"I've never seen Abby this angry before." _She thinks to herself. _"Hopefully her 'Brotherhood' friends haven't turned her into anything like me, or there won't be much of Omega left after she's done."_


	10. Crush

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**C.I.C.**

**Two Days Later…**

With the treat of a second alliance between the Geth and Reapers gone, and getting two fleets instead of one for the Commander and crew's efforts, everyone was feeling a little more at ease. The very best Quarian technicians and engineers, along with some Geth insight and labor, were on their way to assist Admiral Hackett in building the Crucible. Many members of the Normandy's crew were now enjoying some well deserved downtime. Garrus was reminiscing with Tali about past adventures down in the Main Battery, Liara was further pestering Javik about the Prothean Empire, something he lately seemed to almost enjoy talking about with her, and Shepard was helping EDI try to understand why Humans, or organics in general, say and do certain things.

Comm Specialist Samantha Traynor decided to spend some time wandering the ship, exchanging polite greetings with a few friends, but only truly looking for one of them.

Upon reaching the Shuttle Bay, she found the crewmate she was looking for: the Assassin Abigail Williams.

Abby appeared to be practicing her Free Running by running laps around the inside of the Shuttle Bay, jumping from beam to beam on the ceiling, wall-running around corners, even startling Liara by landing near Javik's cabin window. The Assassin otherwise ignored the world around her, and the people within it.

Loud music from a genre and band Traynor didn't recognise blares throughout the hangar, sounding tinny from bouncing around the metal walls and coming from a single source: a small radio next to James' workstation. The loud rock song sounded like something from the 21st century, an era Abby was strangely obsessed with. Most of her belongings were clothing from the time period, including a t-shirt with 'Ford Motor Company Established 1903' written on it, a clothing item she wore rather often.

While Abby's tastes might be confusing to some, to the young Specialist it made the Assassin all the more fascinating. Out of curiosity, Traynor steps towards an intercom on the wall and asks EDI if she recognised the song, nearly having to shout the question. After several failed attempts to understand the robotic voice, a message from the ship AI pops up on Traynor's Omni Tool.

_'The Black Keys - Go. Album: Let's Rock. Released 28th of June, 2019.' _Along with Extranet links to the band, album and song.

_"Seems appropriate." _Traynor says to herself. She looks up from her Omni Tool and steps further into the hangar. Doing so aids in understanding the song's lyrics.

_'In the wintertime_

_When the day is long_

_You're halfway there_

_The field is bare_

_And the fire is gone'_

Abby drops down from the ceiling and lands neatly on the pull-up bar over James' head, making the stocky Marine jump and the slim Specialist giggle to herself.

_'Are you all alone_

_Are you feeling cold_

_Find your flame_

_Call her name _

_And hit the road'_

The small Assassin stops high above Traynor for a moment, her eyes closed and arms stretched slightly behind her.

"Very impressive!" Samantha calls out.

Abby jumps in surprise and is thrown off balance, flailing her arms in an effort to catch her fall, but instead landing on the equally startled Specialist below.

"...ow." Taynor says after a moment in a strained voice.

Abby sits up next to her, appearing dazed. After a few seconds, she realizes what's happened and stands up, helping her slightly injured friend to her feet.

"Sorry about that." The Assassin says, out of breath from her exercise.

"I should apologise to you!" Traynor replies, rubbing the spot that hit the deck first. "I'm the one who scared you."

"Hold on." Abby silences Traynor with one hand and cups the other around her mouth. "Alexa!" She shouts. "Stop!"

On command, the music suddenly stops, and is replaced by the usual ambience of the Shuttle Bay.

"Wait, whose Alexa?" Traynor asks.

"A VI program from the 21st century." The Assassin explains. "That thing is an Amazon Echo. Ancient, but I got it working again."

"So this 'Alexa' is like EDI's great-great-...great grandmother?" Samantha summarises after a moment.

"Yeah I guess." Abby answers after a few seconds of thought.

Traynor finds herself glancing at the intercom, knowing that the AI in question is listening, and wondering what her opinion was.

"So what's up?" Abby asks, lifting the bottom of her shirt, a faded blue one with a strange meshing of a 'P' and 'S' on it, and wiping her face with it.

"I was just...wandering the...ship and thought...I'd...stop by." The Specialist can't help but be completely captivated by the Assassin's toned body. The subtle valleys made by her abs, the scars from past battles, and her perfectly-sized breasts held in place by a simple sports bra. Samantha recovers from her trance just as Abby drops the shirt again, moving a few strands of bangs out of her face. The blush makes Samantha feel as though her cheeks are on fire, and she takes a deep breath, trying desperately to make the redness go away.

"Oh." Abby says simply, pretending not to have noticed the Specialist's distracted tone or her expression. "Well, I'm not up to much, other than working out."

"How is having James as a workout partner?"

"He's not." The Assassin looks over Traynor's shoulder at the Marine, who is tinkering with his shotgun. "James is more of a bodybuilder than a freerunner." She continues with a chuckle. "If he tried what I do, he'd fall on his face after one jump."

"I might try to keep up," James calls back. "If it wasn't just a fancy way to run from one end of the room to the other!"

"Speak for yourself, James!" Samantha quips, glancing at Abby. "I thought it was lovely."

"You're too kind, my friend." The Assassin says modestly, looking at the watch on her Omni Tool. "I've still got a bit of time left, so you're welcome to watch." She offers.

_"Please do." _Traynor nearly blurts out. She quickly collects herself and decides on a less crush-sounding phrase.

"I could use a break from that computer screen upstairs." She says, sitting down on the counter next to the procurement console.

Abby nods, jogging over to Cortez's parked shuttle and swiftly climbing onto it. She takes a few steps back, then runs to the bulkhead, performing a brief wall-run, before pushing off and gripping one of the ceiling beams. She swings off of it like a trapeze artist, landing on a stack of crates on the opposite side of the room.

Suddenly, Traynor gets an idea.

"Alexa!" She shouts. "Play 'Go' by The Black Keys!"

The upbeat song starts from the beginning, and the Assassin looks down at the Specialist from her perch with a smile, which the latter returns, trying to fight away all the dirty thoughts she was having about a certain crewmate who was busy parkouring around the room. Samantha finds her eyes lingering on the short shorts Abby is wearing, losing the battle against her own mind.

_"What I wouldn't give to have those legs wrapped around my face, maybe after a shower….after a workout like this…"_

The Specialist shakes her head, scowling at herself.

_"Stop it, Samantha! What's gotten into you?! This is worse than that thing with EDI…" _She tugs on her blouse collar, trying to distract her brain with the loud music.

_"This is going to be a long deployment…"_


	11. A Wandering Mind

**The Citadel**

**Presidium Commons**

**The Next Day…**

Standing alone on a walkway above the shops, Apollo's coffee in hand, Abby watches the endless stream of SkyCars drone past. Down below at the cafe, Shepard sits at a table chatting with Liara. Joker and EDI browse the gift shop. Even further down, near the bottom of the Ring, C-Sec has an area blocked off while some debris from the Cerberus attack is being cleaned up. Several windows are broken out behind the Assassin. She still remembers fighting for her life here not very long ago.

_"I cut down a Trooper squad over there." _She thinks to herself, sipping her coffee. Bullet holes adorn the area she looks to, one of the television displays still showing static and sparking every so often. A pair of C-Sec officers maintain a perimeter as a maintenance worker attempts to repair the TV. The aftermath of a massive battle is on full display all around, yet the citizens of the Citadel go about their days as if all was normal.

_"It's anything but normal. Wake up, people!"_ Abby wants to shout. _"The fate of the galaxy rests on the shoulders of a select few. Hell, some of them are here amongst you. Yet you all just mill about like nothing's happening."_

The Assassin can only shake her head as her point is made for her. Down at the shops, there's a man haggling a cashier about a refund for something he purchased. Frustration mounting, she tosses her empty cup in a nearby trash can and walks towards the shop.

"I'm afraid I can't help you." The Salarian cashier says in an annoyed tone.

"Your manager said you'd give me a refund if I made an appointment." The Human customer insists.

"You aren't on my appointment list, _and _you don't have the receipt. I don't think we even carry that model anymore."

"Listen. I don't want a new model, or store credit, or anything like that. I just want my money back."

Abby approaches the counter, standing next to the customer.

"There's nothing I can do without a sales record of some kind." The cashier says, quickly becoming irritated with the man.

"What about the warranty book? I have it in my car." The man offers.

"A warranty book doesn't tell me that you purchased this item from this store. Again, sir. There's nothing I can do."

"Are you keeping this guy at work while a galactic war is going on?" The Assassin asks the man.

"Uhh...well...it's his job, right?" He asks ignorantly.

"Actually." The Salarian says matter-of-factly, clearly relieved to have some help. "I'm supposed to be on break, contacting the family I haven't heard from in several days."

"Uhh yeah. I guess maybe…" The Human looks down in embarrassment. "A war is a bad time."

"Maybe? That thought didn't occur to you the other ten times you've visited here this week?"

"Uhh yeah, sorry. I'll just uhh…" The man picks up the box and quickly leaves.

The Salarian looks at Abby with a tired expression. "I've never seen someone so obsessed with getting a refund for a toaster oven. Thanks for talking some sense into him."

Satisfied, Abby leaves the shops and begins to wander the Commons, becoming lost in her thoughts.

_"War isn't for everyone, I suppose. I certainly didn't picture my life going this way. I thought I'd end up a typical colony kid. Work a farm, maybe join the local Militia or something, possibly even end up with Cerberus, or follow Ashley into the Alliance. Despite its many flaws, I still do love Humanity, after all."_

She passes a group of C-Sec officers being briefed on new patrol routes and possible traps being left behind by Cerberus. A few of them have clear expressions of worry, likely having never been in an environment like this before.

_"Even uniformed people probably have trouble with 'the life'. Hell, we have a few of them on the Normandy...Like Traynor...At first glance, she seems like a garden variety 'Fish out of Water' story. After a short conversation with her, you realize that's exactly what she is. Yet that could be an advantage. Me? Shepard? Garrus? People like us were made for this kind of work. People like Traynor, Allers, as well as Donnelly and Daniels are almost on the outside looking in. They have an entirely different perspective."_

After a moment, Abby's mind focuses on Traynor.

_"Traynor is beautiful, in a way. Her accent, her cute face, how adorable she is when she's flustered. Make no mistake, Samantha. I've noticed how you look at and talk to me. And I've noticed you, as well. God, what's happening to me? I've never had these thoughts about anyone. Too busy training...and killing. The Assassin lifestyle isn't exactly romantic, or friend and family-friendly. It's kind of lonely, now that I think of it."_

Abby's eyes start to wander as she walks, lingering for a moment on Shepard and Liara. They're still seated at their table at the cafe, one of the Asari's hands holding the Commander's as they talk. The Assassin lets out a sigh, a never-before-felt pang of emptiness hitting her.

_"What's the harm in it? Shepard has the most dangerous job out there, and she's managed to keep things together with T'Soni for how long now? Three years and counting? If they can do it, why can't I?"_

_"Because of the Brotherhood."_ Her own mind replies. _"Personal relationships are frowned upon. Emotions only get in the way of the mission."_

_"Fuck that!" _The Assassin bites back. _"For all I know, I'm the last one left. There isn't much keeping me from breaking a few rules. Besides, a happy killer is a successful killer, right?"_

Abby absent-mindedly heads to the elevator at the end of the walkway, pressing the button for the Docking Bay.

_"What could go wrong?"_


	12. Thessia

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**Shuttle 'Omaha'**

**Thessian Atmosphere**

**Two Days later…**

Liara T'Soni, the Normandy's resident Asari, sits in her seat with her eyes glued to the shuttle's external camera feed. Several Reaper ships blast away at the team's destination; the capital city Armali. In the feed, a skyscraper collapses in the wake of a Reaper's energy beam. Liara is clearly perplexed. Thessia has not been the host of a battlefield for millenia, likely around the time Humanity was taking its first steps out of the jungle. Possibly even before. Other than the bumps from turbulence and entering the atmosphere, the shuttle ride has been silent, so Shepard attempts to distract Liara with conversation.

"Liara, is there anything more you can tell us about this artifact?"

The troubled young Asari finally looks away from the screen. "These coordinates the Councilor gave you are for the Temple of Athame. I've only ever been there once. The building is several thousand years old, and for some reason, it gets secret government funding."

"Sounds like we're on the right trail, then." Abby says from her spot on the other side of the shuttle.

"What if we're too late?" Liara asks, her fear beginning to return. "My people are being slaughtered down there."

"Did Benezia take you here?" Shepard asks.

"I was only a child." The Asari replies, standing up. "I thought it was merely a history lesson, but maybe there was more to it." Liara's conspiracy-theorist mind begins racing with possibilities.

"How so?"

"I went digging through some of my mother's old files." Liara says as she opens her Omni-Tool. "She had heavily encrypted files on this place, some dating back centuries. I haven't been able to crack all of them, even with Glyph and EDI's help. Whatever is going on, it's well hidden."

"From what I heard from Ash," Abby pipes up, getting the women's attention. "Benezia was indoctrinated. She tried hard to break free of it." The Commander nods, privately wondering what else Ashley has told her sister. "She also said the three of you were forced to kill her." The Assassin continues. "I couldn't even imagine that."

"All of this brings those memories back." Says Liara, sitting back down. "What if Thessia faces a similar fate?"

"I know it's difficult, Liara, but you can't think about it." Shepard insists. "You could spend all day counting casualties, but it won't solve anything." Abby nods in agreement.

"When you should be avenging them." The Assassin adds. "The Reapers destroyed Arcturus Station, my home. They killed my Brothers, my friends. I know what _I'll _be doing while I'm down there."

"Focus on getting what we need to finish the Crucible."

"I can't be that callous about my own people." Liara replies, shaking her head.

"War doesn't always give you a choice." Shepard points out glumly.

The shuttle begins its descent towards the landing zone, bouncing around from Reaper anti-air fire.

"Hang on, back there!" Cortez calls from the cockpit. "This is gonna be tight!"

"Huh." Abby muses. "I've never performed a combat drop from a shuttle before."

"First time for everything, right?" Steve asks. The shuttle door opens with a hiss, and the vehicle begins to hover just above the ground.

"No!" Liara cries at the sight. "This can't be happening! My home!"

Outside the relative safety of the shuttle is chaos. Bullets whistle by as a team of Asari commandos desperately cling to a tiny strip of a walkway. A machine gun is set up on top of a barricade made of destroyed Sky-Cars and pieces of building walls. One commando, likely the group's engineer, quickly makes a makeshift repair to a gunship. Several explosions hit the biotic barrier around the machine gunner, throwing her off of the barricade and damaging the weapon. The gunship flies away, and the engineer runs to the gun to try and repair it. A medic helps the injured operator over to a small triage of other wounded commandos.

"There'll be time to enjoy the view later!" Shepard shouts over the gunfire. "Move it! Down the hill!"

Cortez quickly retreats as the team steps off, the Commander taking her usual place in the lead. Abby runs to the small opening in the barricade to offer a hand. As she reaches the firing position, a few rounds tear into one of the commandos leaning out to fire. She falls to the ground, and a medic quickly swoops in to pull her comrade to safety. Abby jumps in to take the commando's place at the wall.

"The hell?" The wounded commando asks. "We're allowing civilians into battle now?"

The Assassin ignores the question, simply readying her M-12 Locust and blind firing around the wall. As she pulls back to extract the heat sink, a Husk appears. Abby deploys a blade and stabs it in the throat, securing the fresh heat sink and using the Husk as a shield to gun down a squad of Cannibals. Abby removes her blade from the Husk, with several holes blasted into its back and head, and lets it fall to the ground. She turns and shoots a smirk to the commandos watching her.

"She's no civilian I've ever seen." One says after a moment.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**C.I.C.**

Comm Specialist Traynor had never pressed a mute button so hard in her entire life. Despite the return of the ambiance of the C.I.C., the voices of overwhelmed Asari fighters and desperate civilians begging for help still echoed in her ears.

_"Any units nearby! Outpost Cythera has been overrun! Falling back to next closest posi-!"_

_"If anyone can hear this...please help. My bondmate and our children are trapped in-"_

_"We are taking heavy fire from the school! Requesting immediate assis-!"_

It was all too much. Part of the young Specialist wanted to cry. To run as far away from this infernal console and that eternal spiralling galaxy map as possible. Yet the rest of her knew that was impossible. This is a relatively small ship in outer space. There was nowhere to go, unless she was ever selected for Shore Party, which is something that non-combatants rarely did, if ever. Especially if that Shore Party went somewhere Commander Shepard would go, which is anywhere from the Galactic Core, to Geth-infested planets, to a derelict Reaper ship, and everywhere in between. No, thank you.

Samantha began to wander away from her comm console, eventually finding herself in front of the galaxy map, resting her elbows on the railing with her head in her hands.

_"How could anyone do this for their entire military career?" _She asked herself. _"The Asari homeworld is collapsing before our eyes. Before my ears! Liara is down there, and so is Shepard...and Abby."_

The comm officer surprised herself by how quickly she had grown so fond of her newest crewmate.

_"Abby is just so likeable. So easy, and yet so hard to talk to. Everyone else around here is so militaristic and hardened. Nothing fazes them. 'We lost a planet? Just another day at the office.' It's such bullshit. Does anyone in the Alliance possess empathy?"_

Samantha pushes away from the railing, turning around to find Ashley standing in front of the elevator. The expression of worry and slight confusion plain as day on her face.

"You okay, Traynor?" Ashley asks.

"Yes...Lieutenant Commander. Fine." Samantha says, quickly fixing herself up. Despite her best efforts, the LC seems unconvinced.

"Sam? You sure?"

The Specialist looks down, letting out a sigh. "No...no I'm really not." She turns back to her console, her Marine friend following. "The defense of Thessia has so far been a complete disaster. All the local comm channels are completely full from people sending S.O.S.s and commando units requesting backup."

Ash nods with understanding. "I know how you feel. I hate that there's nothing else we can do." She looks over Samantha's console as page after page of data crosses the screen. "The Asari Councilor wants this to be a quiet op. And furthermore, the Asari opted out of the peace summit with the Krogan. They tried to stay out of the whole war all together, and now they don't have many friends to turn too. The Skipper said her hands were tied on this one. Supposedly a quick 'snatch and grab'. Clearly that isn't the case."

Traynor looks over at the woman at her side. Being with Shepard since the beginning, like Garrus, Joker and Tali, she's likely seen it all.

"How do you do it?" Samantha asks. "Keeping your sanity through all this? How did you keep it during the war with Saren, and with the Collectors?"

Ashley looks down for a moment, rubbing a fastener head on the deck with her boot while thinking of an answer.

"I just try not to think about it." She finally replies. "About Earth, Palaven, Thessia, my home of Sirona. Think about what's happening out there for too long, and you start to drive yourself crazy. You'll work yourself up, getting angry, depressed, and frustrated with how helpless you feel, and by the end of it you'll have no energy left. Then you feel even worse." Ashley steps forward, patting the Specialist's shoulder encouragingly. "Focus on the here and now, like these communications. Ask, 'Is there any way I can help this person?' If yes, do it. If not, move on to the next. If that gets too taxing...or depressing, try managing Shepard's advance through the city. Find nearby units to help her, or get an evac planned if things get too hairy."

Samantha lets out a heavy sigh, psyching herself up.

"Okay...support...intel...evac...that I can do." She steps towards her console again, unmuting it, but turning the volume down. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Ashley starting to leave.

"Thank you, Ash."

The Marine smiles.

* * *

**Temple of Athame**

**Armali, Thessia**

**Half an hour later…**

"Indoctrinated presence detected. Activating security protocol."

The 'Vendetta' AI reverts back to a glowing green orb and retreats back to the statue. Outside, a gunship with Cerberus markings veers away and a lone figure approaches. The man is none other than Kai Leng, the Cerberus assassin.

Shepard, Abby and Liara ready their weapons, N-7 Valkyrie, blades, and M-77 Paladin respectively, in unison.

"Kai Leng!" The Assassin jeers. "It's been too long."

"_You _killed the scientists." Shepard growls. "What do you want?"

"Your attention." Leng says simply. "Someone would like to speak with you." He pulls a small device, with an appearance similar to Glyph, out of his pocket and it hovers out of his hand. Tapping a few buttons on his Omni-Tool, the device flies towards Shepard, and a hologram of the Illusive Man appears.

"Shepard." He says in greeting.

"How did you find this place?" the Commander demands, lowering her rifle.

"The Archives. Or did your Shadow Broker miss that one?" TIM asks, looking at Liara with a smug grin.

"Show yourself!" The Asari shouts. "I promise I won't miss."

"Stick to your talents, Doctor." The hologram walks through Shepard and towards Vendetta. Behind it, Kai Leng paces around and watches the conversation, Abby not letting him out of her sight. "You've helped uncover the key to subjugating the Reapers."

That makes Abby turn her head.

"What did he just say?" She asks, looking to Liara and Shepard for an explanation.

"Or destroying them." Says Shepard, ignoring the question.

"Destroying the Reapers gains us nothing!"

"How about peace?"

"Wait, hold on." Abby presses, looking at Shepard. "He wants to _control_ them?!"

"A little late to the party, are we Assassin?" TIM asks, giving Abby a pointed look. In a fit of anger and confusion, she throws one of her blades at the hologram. It misses the orb device, instead embedding itself in Athame's foot.

The Illusive Man laughs, walking through Shepard again and towards Kai Leng. "You Assassins are always predictable. I feel that this conversation does not need to continue. Leng, the Commander has something I need. Please relieve her of it."

"With pleasure." Leng replies, catching the device and drawing his sword. Abby pulls another blade from her belt and places it in the empty track as Shepard and Liara attack. The Commander throws a biotic Shockwave, while the Asari uses Warp. Combined, they create an explosion around Leng. He staggers slightly, but continues his advance towards Liara.

Blades ready, Abby jumps over several pues, attacking Leng from the air. The two duel for several seconds, before catching each other in a bind. The Assassin's blades are both blocked by Leng's sword and free hand. Her more skilled opponent breaks the bind first, pushing away one blade and kicking the other, finding a moment to stab Abby in the side. Before he can attack further, Abby is saved by Liara throwing another Warp, followed by Shepard squeezing off several bursts. The Cerberus assassin nearly loses his shields and quickly retreats.

"I've lost shields!" He shouts to the gunship. "Cover me!" As the gunship appears again, Shepard pushes the Assassin to cover and tackles Liara to get her to safety. The gunship's cannon rips into the temple, mowing down everything as Abby applies Medi-Gel to her wound. As the gunship finally flies away, she throws another blade. This one hits its mark, finding a home in Leng's leg and stopping him in his tracks. He angrily pulls the blade out, tossing it aside.

"There's only one way this ends." The man growls, stabbing his sword into the floor and running towards Abby. He knocks the Assassin's bladed hand aside, delivering a swift punch to the face, then picking her up by her jacket collar and throwing her across the room. Liara tries to take a shot, but is floored by the airborne Assassin. Shepard jumps over them, firing several rounds at Leng, but all of them are deflected by his shield.

"Target the supports." The Cerberus assassin orders. His gunship returns, firing rockets into the temple and knocking down the support columns as Shepard's team attempts to flee. The ceiling begins to cave in, with pieces of debris raining all around. In the chaos, the Commander becomes partially buried. She can see Leng, but can't fight back.

"Cerberus thanks you for all your hard work." Kai Leng says casually, walking towards Vendetta.


	13. Realizations

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**Shuttle Bay**

**Ten minutes later…**

Garrus and Samantha watch the scuffed and battered Kodiak settle inside the shuttle bay. After a pause, the side door opens, and the Commander is the first to step out. Her armor is badly scratched and covered in dust, helmet visor cracked. Liara follows her, tears welling up and making streaks on her filthy face.

"Shepard. Liara." Garrus says after a moment. "We heard things went south down there. You ladies okay?" Shepard stops in front of him for a moment, before slowly removing her broken helmet and wordlessly placing it in the Turian's hands. She glumly passes her confused friend, who shoots Traynor a worried glance before following the Commander and the Asari. The Specialist looks back to the shuttle, where Cortez is helping a certain injured Assassin exit the vehicle.

"Abby!" Traynor nearly shouts, jogging towards her friend.

"I'm fine, Steve." Abby insists, despite the limp and drying blood on her jacket and pants leg.

"Yeah. Famous last words." The pilot grumbles, continuing to help despite the protest. "Sam? Can you take her to Sick Bay? Maybe you'll have better luck."

Abby stands up, holding her side and looking at her spectators.

"Look. I'm fine. See?" She takes a step, only to fall awkwardly into Traynor's unsuspecting arms.

"Ow." The Assassin whispers as Samantha helps her into a (sort of) standing position.

"Care to explain this?" Traynor asks as they hobble into the elevator.

"Kai Leng." Abby winces. "Cerberus beat us to the Temple."

After a quick lift ride, the pair find themselves in Doctor Chakwas' office, who intently looks over the globs of Medi-Gel on Abby's abdomen.

"Medi-Gel appears to have sealed properly." The Doctor says, scanning the area with her Omni-Tool. "No signs of serious internal damage. Through and through."

"Well, I'd hope so." The Assassin quips. "It was a sword after all." Samantha rolls her eyes at the comment, knowing all too well Abby's tendency to lean towards sarcasm even in the most serious moments.

Doctor Chakwas, on the other hand, ignores the comment, instead focusing on her patient.

"Infection seems...unlikely."

Abby looks up at Samantha and makes a show of wiping her brow with a sigh of relief. The Specialist can barely hide her giggling.

"Pain is expected, and is clearly present. However it could be much worse." The Doctor stands up, continuing to type and scan with her Omni-Tool. "For instance, you could have internal damage. Or you could be dead."

"Are you always so bright and sunny, Doc?" Abby asks.

"I try to be." Chakwas replies with a smile. "Let's see...there are also some bruises and scratches from kinetic impacts, but those are nothing to worry about. Just ask any member of the crew."

Traynor nods at the Assassin's glance.

"Other than that, you're the picture of health. However, I will be sending the Commander my recommendations. For you, Abigail, light duty and no Shore Party assignments for the next few days."

Abby simply shrugs, fixing her jacket. "As expected."

"_And_ no working out. Come back in a few days, and I'll remove the Medi-Gel. Then, you can return to normal activities."

The Doctor puts away her Omni-Tool and reaches into a nearby cabinet. "Now, Specialist, you'll need these." She hands Samantha a box of cleaning wipes. "You'd probably like to get out of those clothes." Abby looks down at her stained clothing, some of which has started to dry and stiffen.

"Then why will I need these?" Traynor asks.

"Because you'll be helping, of course."

The Assassin and Specialist lock their gazes on the Doctor, demanding to know if they had heard her correctly.

"Um...what?" Abby is the first to break the silence. Doctor Chakwas turns around with slight confusion.

"You can hardly walk, Abigail. I highly doubt you could remove your own clothing, clean yourself off, _then _redress without assistance." The Assassin glances at Samantha, whose face is going to a deep red. "And unfortunately, I can't help." The Doctor continues. "I have to prep physical assessment reports for Liara and the Commander."

"I guess it's back to civilian clothes for me." Abby says as the pair leaves Sick Bay, trying to hide how awkward she feels. The feeling is mirrored by Samantha, who leads her injured friend to the Crew Quarters. Abby fumbles through her locker, picking out something from her 21st century wardrobe; Converse sneakers, blue jeans and a simple t-shirt. Across the hall to the female Head, the two are unsure how to proceed. Thankfully, EDI was willing to lock the door for them.

The Assassin finally decides to lead, unbuttoning her Assassin jacket and beginning to remove it. Traynor helps wherever necessary, especially with the boots, but she hesitates at Abby's pants.

"I have to say," Samantha begins shakily. "This is the fastest I've ever gone from talking to someone, to helping them undress."

Abby nods in agreement, getting to work on her pants fasteners. "Do you think we're going a bit too fast? I mean, we just met."

The Specialist shrugs, pushing past the awkwardness to help Abby remove her pants, as well as doing her best not to let her eyes linger. "Unless of course, we're secretly in a porno and don't know it?" Abby suggests, only making Samantha laugh more. "If that's the case, your acting is spot on."

"Yours as well. Let's just hope the good part is just as convincing." After a moment of silence, worried that she may have said too much, Traynor looks up to see the Assassin fighting off a wide grin. For a moment, the two are motionless, before Abby finally lets her laugh out. Relieved, Samantha laughs as well, placing the filthy garments to the side and silently reveling in how oddly smoothly all of this is going. Abby is feeling it as well. Despite how unusual the situation is, as well as the other present circumstances, Samantha is a surprising smooth talker when she wants to be.

"This is _not _how I pictured my day going." The Assassin muses, picking up the box of cleaning wipes and beginning to clean the dried blood from her leg.

"Oh? And how did you picture it?"

"With us being able to finish the Crucible." Abby mutters. She lifts her feet off the floor so Samantha can help with the new clothes. "And then I find out that Cerberus wants to try to control the Reapers? I guess what Vendetta said makes sense now."

"What? Who?" Traynor stops in her tracks.

"This Prothean AI we found in the Temple. He told us that this Reaper invasion thing is part of a cycle. It's happened before, thousands of times. Every time, the denizens of that period failed because a splinter group of their own favored submission and control over fighting back." The Assassin looks down. "Fuck Cerberus, man." She growls. "You know they once did good things? Like fighting the Collectors and protecting Human colonies from pirates? Where did it go wrong?"

"All the more reason to take them down." Samantha says reassuringly, pulling Abby's pants back up and allowing her to secure them. "And I may have something that will help."

"What is it?"

_"Now hear this." _EDI's voice says robotically over the intercom. _"Abigail Williams and Specialist Traynor, please report to the War Room. Williams and Traynor to the War Room."_

"I'll tell you at the meeting." Traynor helps Abby to her feet and the two make their way up to Deck Two.

"To Hell with predictions!" Commander Shepard shouts angrily, clearly feeling the effects of the failed mission to Thessia. "Thessia is lost, and that's on me. As is the data on the Catalyst." Abby and Samantha take a spot around the hologram projector between EDI and Ashley. The mood in the room is clearly frustration and sorrow, with Liara on the verge of tears and Shepard glaring at the hologram of Thessia, likely beginning to burn a hole through the metal beneath.

"I'm tired of Cerberus beating us to the punch." The Commander says through gritted teeth.

"It's time we kicked them in the balls first for a change." James declares, punching a fist into the palm of his hand.

"I'm with James." Shepard agrees, looking around to the other members of the team. "Anyone know where they're hiding? Anyone?"

Samantha shoots Abby a quick wink, then looks to the Commander. "I...may have something, Ma'am."

"Let's hear it, Traynor."

"I was able to track Kai Leng's shuttle through the relay, and find his destination." She brings up a small galaxy map, with a line being traced from the Athena Nebula and jumping through several systems. "But...the signal disappeared in the Iera system."

"Naturally." Shepard grumbles.

"It's not just gone, though." Samantha continues. "The signal is being actively blocked."

"How?"

"I'm...not sure. But _something _is interfering with all signal activity in that region."

Abby can't help but smile at Traynor. When they met, she had always been so nervous talking to people. Now, she sounds so sure of herself.

"Commander." EDI pipes up. "The Iera system is home to Sanctuary and little else. Sanctuary has been advertised as a supposed safe haven for war refugees."

"You think it's worth looking into, Traynor?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I do." Samantha says with a nod.

"If Specialist Traynor hadn't examined the data so astutely," EDI concludes. "The interference would have likely been undetectable." Traynor looks down modestly, but lets out a small smile when Abby pats her shoulder reassuringly.

"Nice one, Sam." She adds quietly.

"Nice work, Traynor." Shepard says with a nod of approval. "You've given us a shot. Now let's make sure we don't waste it."

"When I was stationed on Horizon, you were the only Cerberus presence." Ashley muses. "Why would Kai Leng go there?"

"It's a slim lead." Liara adds. "Let's hope it's the right one."

Shepard stops in her tracks, looking to the group again.

"I don't care how slim the leads are at this point. We've come too far to let Cerberus stop us. I want the Prothean data. I want the Catalyst. Failure is _not _an option. Dismissed."


	14. New Developments

**SSV Normandy SR2**

**Shuttle Bay**

**The Next Day…**

"Nonono...that won't work." The Assassin mutters, hunched over the weapon workbench. Attention focused and headset playing loudly, she is oblivious to her surroundings, and to the person who just walked in.

"Oh, _that's_ why." Abby says out loud to herself, looking back from the grease stained and partially crumpled instruction booklet. "Yeah, that makes more sense." She returns to working on a weapon. Fastening here, tweaking there, then glancing back to the booklet again, turning the pages a few times. "Now, where did I put-ah here it is."

A crewmate approaches the workstation, trying to read the back of her friend's shirt with a puzzled expression.

_"Харли-Девидсон Мотоциклы?"_ Samantha asks herself. _"I understand the 'Moscow, Russia' part…"_

"EDI?" She asks quietly. "What does that logo mean?"

"It is the logo of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company written in Russian." The AI explains robotically. "This article of clothing was reportedly quite rare during the time period. How Abigail managed to find one is quite a mystery."

_"Huh." _The Specialist muses. _"She _really _is obsessed with that time…"_

Her thoughts are interrupted by the crewmate in question exclaiming with a mixture of pain and frustration, clutching her hand and then shaking it several times. Samantha arrives at her friend's side moments later and Abby looks up, removing her headphones.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"Burned myself with the soldering iron." The Assassin grumbles, pointing to the tool on the workbench. She examines the burn on her hand, then shrugs after a moment.

"What have you done to your Locust?" Traynor asks curiously. The weapon is in a state of partial disassembly, with some pieces removed that the Specialist didn't know could come off.

"I'm trying to refit it so I don't need thermal clips anymore." Abby explains, picking up her tools and returning to work.

"May I ask 'Why?'?"

Abby looks up. "Never needing one of these again?" She picks up a stray thermal clip. "They get heavy after a while, and they're hard to conceal. Plus, I could fire this thing almost indefinitely, at least until it overheats. And if that happens…" Abby presses a small button above the pistol grip, which was once for clip removal, and the weapon opens like a flower.

"Very smart." Samantha remarks with a nod. "It'd be like before the universal upgrade."

"I would personally call it a downgrade, but yes." Adjusting her safety glasses, Abby finishes her soldering work. Appearing satisfied, she begins to reassemble the weapon.

"Speaking of weapons, isn't Shepard in the middle of a mission? Shouldn't you be...specializing comms, or something?"

"Very funny." Traynor rolls her eyes. "And no. Communication is blocked by a jamming array somewhere on Sanctuary. EDI is sort of doing my job right now." The Specialist returns her attention to the woman before her. "_I_, on the other hand, just wanted to check in on you."

Abby shrugs, snapping the foregrip into place. "Ash came by this morning, before she left with Shepard and Garrus. He and I had a chat, too. Clearly, he's no stranger to being cooped up after an injury."

"The crew has taken a liking to you." Samantha observes. "As have I...as I'm sure you can tell." She adds a bit awkwardly.

The Assassin cocks her head slightly. "Are you this friendly with everyone, or just me?" Much to her surprise, Traynor doesn't fluster, instead pressing further.

"It depends on who I'm talking to."

With a nervous chuckle, Abby begins to screw her Locust's new venting fan into place, only for the weapon's outer shell to snap closed on her fingers. In a fit of laughter, despite her friend's clear discomfort, Samantha leans in and presses the button Abby had showed her. The weapon shell opens again and the Assassin tugs her hand free.

"Are you alright, love?" Traynor asks, her laugh subsiding.

Abby shakes the pain out of her hand. "Yeah. Just dandy. The Doc is going to love me after this trip." She looks up at Sam, only to find her face just a few inches away from her own. The Specialist gives a small, warm smile, which the Assassin mirrors after a moment.

Their moment is interrupted by the Shuttle Bay door opening and a familiar shuttle coming into view. The small craft slowly hovers in, before settling into its usual parking spot. The side door opens and the Commander herself steps out, followed by Ashley, Garrus, and two women whom Abby felt looked vaguely familiar. As the others pass, Jane stops at the Assassin's work table.

"Abby. Good." She says, tiredly removing her helmet. "We may have found a location on the Cerberus base of operations."

The young Assassin is taken aback. "Was Kai Leng down there? Don't tell me I missed the party."

Shepard shakes her head. "No, no. He escaped. But Miranda managed to stick him with a tracker." The woman in question stops next to the Commander. "Miranda, this is Abigail. The friend I mentioned. Abby, Miranda. A former colleague, and a close friend." The two eye each other quizzically for a moment, before Miranda offers a hand to shake. Cautiously, Abby accepts.

"So, what's the game plan?"

"We can't hit them." Shepard begins. "Not yet, anyway. Admiral Hackett is assembling a strike force. In the meantime, we're headed to the Citadel. The Normandy needs a break, as do we."

"Really?" Abby asks. "Shore leave, when we're so close to the end?"

"His orders. Not mine." The Commander concludes, continuing with Miranda and the other mystery woman to the elevator.

"Hmm." Traynor muses. "Haven't been to the Citadel in a while." She turns to the Assassin seated at her side.

"Last time I was, it didn't end well." She replies, turning back to her nearly completed project. "Here's hoping this time goes better."

* * *

**A/N Howdy all. Been a while since I updated this fic. Don't worry about the long breaks between chapters, as this is a side project, while my Division 2 fic is my priority.**

**Side note- Lot's of the clothing Abby wears is clothing I actually own. I've always liked the concept of a character in a futuristic setting to really like pop-culture and fashion from the past.**

**Side note 2- I have some...lets say...NSFW plans for Abby and Samantha, yet I'm awful at writing stuff like that. If anyone would like to help (And by help, I mean write a scene for them) I would be very grateful. If you're interested, PM me. You will get full credit, and I'll change the rating of the story (If that even matters).**

**Thanks in advance, and see you in the next one!**


	15. Shore Leave

**Two days later**

**Citadel Wards**

**Silversun Strip**

"Wow." Is all Traynor can say upon seeing the Strip for the first time. Neon lights are everywhere, advertising everything from food, to guns, to SkyCar parts, and everything in between. Upbeat electro music vibrates out of one of the outlets, likely the arcade. The denizens of the Citadel go about their routines down below.

"This place looks like Tokyo." Samantha further comments as she and Abby observe from a walkway above the Strip. "I think you and I are in the wrong line of work."

Abby smiles, taking a sip of some colorful Asari drink that her friend had recommended. She had no idea what was in it, but it had a mixture of shades of green, tasted slightly fruity, and the Assassin could swear the drink was glowing. Glancing around, Abby catches a glimpse of an Asari and Human couple giving her a sideways look, likely because of her clothing choice. The two quickly avert their gaze and continue on their way to the casino, while Abby looks down at herself.

_"What is everyone looking at? Never heard of Marvel comics?" _The Assassin nearly says aloud, looking at the logo in question, stenciled in large white letters on her shirt. She sheepishly glances at Sam's outfit, which upon first seeing it, Abby had asked if they were going on a date. A light blue dress stopping above the ankles, with matching flats in place of the usual NWU uniform. Privately, Abby was blown away at how beautiful Traynor looked.

_"I am in the wrong time period."_

A SkyCar flying overhead brings the Assassin back to reality. She watches it slow to a hover, before landing at the sushi restaurant at the end of the Strip behind them.

"Maybe so." Abby replies to her companion's earlier point. "But I honestly can't picture myself living like this. I mean, what do these people do all day?"

"Well….they...er…" Samantha thinks quickly, trying to come up with a rebuttal. "They...work. I guess. In shops and...offices and...you're right. I couldn't live here, either."

The two women's shared laughter is interrupted by the sound of gunfire coming from somewhere nearby. The people down below and around them stop their conversations and try to see where the sound is coming from. Several neon lights suddenly spark and flare around the sushi place in the direction of the gunfire, and Abby watches as the glass floor of the restaurant shatters and a lone figure falls down to the street far below.

"What the hell was that?!" Samantha exclaims after a moment.

Before she can reply, the Assassin's Omni-Tool lights up with an incoming call, and the caller is none other than Joker, the Normandy's pilot.

_"Abby! Samantha! Are you guys near the Strip?" _He asks hurriedly.

"Yeah, we're on it." Abby answers. "We just saw one helluva light show."

_"And you'll never guess who was involved."_

"Shepard." Samantha grumbles. "Of course."

_"Yeah. There's some merc guys gunning for her. Is there anything you two can do? She's gonna need help."_

"I'm on it." Abby says instinctively.

_"Cool. I'll get EDI to triangulate her. Traynor, you should head to Shepard's apartment."_

"She has an apartment?" Sam asks with confusion.

_"Yes. I'll explain later. Just go! I've got Brooks with me...some staff lady. She's trying to find what's going on. We're going to pick up Shepard."_

Joker abruptly hangs up as the gun battle below continues. Sam and Abby look at each other for a moment.

"Alright I'll… see you at the apartment then." The Specialist says.

"Sorry our date got cut short." Abby replies, quickly finishing her drink and donning her hood.

"This wasn't a date!"

"It sure felt like one!" The Assassin hops onto the railing, quickly scanning for a safe place to jump to. "Back in a flash, babe!"

Before Traynor can respond, Abby lets herself fall, much to the shock of the nearby onlookers.

It's a short fall to a long wall of slanted windows. Sliding down, Abby uses an open window as a springboard to jump across a chasm to a walkway. Nearly landing on a pair of Turians out on a stroll, whom she shouts an apology to, the Assassin runs along, pushing through the small crowd of pedestrians while repeatedly looking over the side trying to find Shepard.

"Hey boss! It's Abby!" She says into her short range comm. "Joker told Traynor and I the situation. You okay?" With finesse, she slides down a decline in the railing, hopping off at the end and landing on a parked SkyCar several levels below.

_"I'm fine."_ Some gunfire rings out in the background. _"Might need some backup, though."_

"Cool. I think I'm almost to you." The gunfire gets louder. Abby is close.

_"Excuse me, who is this?!"_ A voice exclaims. _"You are on a secure channel and are putting Commander Shepard in danger!"_

"What?" Abby asks in confusion. "And who are you? Her secretary?"

_"Hold on, Abby."_ Shepard herself speaks up. _"Joker mentioned Staff Analyst Brooks, yes? That's her. Everybody play nice."_

Shaking her head, the Assassin continues. She looks over the edge to see none other than the Commander, trapped in a small marketplace just below, trying to fire at several advancing men.

Abby pounces, landing on a market stall's canvas roof, much to the soldiers' surprise. The Assassin unsheathes her blades, hidden in the sleeves of her hoodie, and gets to work.

She knocks away the rifle of the first soldier, stabbing him in the chest, before throwing him away with a kick to the stomach. With a lightning-fast spin, she roundhouse kicks the man behind her, making him stumble into the soldier behind him. Quickly closing in, she finishes the first enemy off as he stands, stabbing him in the neck and forcing him to the ground. The last merc tries to use her rifle as a club, with a move that is easily countered by the skilled Assassin. She grabs hold of the rifle, pulling it and it's owner forward and kneeing the soldier in the face. The woman is dazed by the hit, and is unable to block the swift slices to her leg, chest, and throat, all before Abby pulls back to deliver a hefty punch to the face, laying the soldier out.

After a moment of silence, the besieged Commander rises from her spot behind a vegetable stand.

The Assassin is momentarily confused by Shepard's outfit; an N7 hoodie, black cargo pants, and boots. Normally she either wears armor or NWU's, and a dress uniform on rare occasions.

"Abby. Fancy seeing you here."

"Eh. I was in the neighborhood. Figured I'd drop in."

The Commander nods after a moment. "Joker said someone would be coming. Liara also said that she was further ahead. This way."

Checking their corners, the two women leave the small marketplace. Abby can't help but hear a squishing sound as they walk, and stops for a brief second. The sound continues as Shepard passes her. The Assassin also notes the Commander's wet hair and damp-looking, scuffed clothing. Confused, she decides not to question it. There's no time to, anyway, as another group of enemy soldiers push through a crowd of civilians towards the duo.

Shepard ducks, with her companion in tow, waiting for the civilians to disperse. She throws a biotic shockwave at the advancing soldiers, knocking a few off their feet. The wave blazes forward, hitting a parked SkyCar and flinging it into the air. It crashes down a moment later, detonating it's small Mass Effect core and triggering the car's alarm. The Commander awkwardly looks back at Abby, then shrugs.

"Whoops."

_"Shepard?" _Liara asks over the short range. _"I heard that from here. What's happening?"_

"It's all under control." Shepard replies, firing at the still standing soldiers. Abby hops over her cover and advances, throwing one of her blades at a man who was too close for comfort.

"Who are these guys, anyway?" She asks.

"They have guns and don't like me." The Commander says callously. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Yeah, them and half the galaxy." Abby shoots back.

The fire from the still-burning car triggers a fire suppression system, the alarm of which is even louder than the car's.

_"Is that an alarm?" _Garrus' voice sounds next. _"What's going on?"_

"Thought I'd make things more interesting."

_"Of course you did." _The Turian grumbles.

_"Commander."_ Brooks chimes in again. _"It would really be great if you stayed off the comm."_

"Vakarian called _us_." The Assassin says snarkily.

The pair blazes forward, eventually finding themselves in the parking lot of a SkyCar dealership. Jane turns the corner, weapon ready, only to have a soldier catapult past her from a biotic Throw. A second stumbles back, slumping into a wall, his body riddled with bullet holes. Ahead, Liara stands with her hands on her hips, eyeing Shepard and Abby top to bottom.

"Having a bad day, dear?" The Asari quips.

"You could say that." The two stow their weapons. "Joker is on his way to pick us up."

"The landing pad is over there." Liara gestures behind her further into the lot. "But it's behind a locked gate."

"Let's find someone with the keys then." Abby says simply, passing the Asari.

"I like your outfit." The comment makes the Assassin stop and turn, to see Shepard arching a brow at her companion.

"Uh...keys...gate...right." Liara says awkwardly. Jane smiles at her and the trio continue.

"I heard you fell through a fish tank." The Asari speaks again, stepping around a parked car.

"We'll talk about it later." Shepard grumbles.

The pieces from earlier finally click in Abby's head. "That was you?! Well...that explains a lot." She looks down at Shepard's worn and damp clothing again.

"We'll talk about it _later_." The Commander says with growing annoyance, something that only makes Liara giggle. The three women head into the Cision Motors lot, and after some brief words with the dealership owner, the locked doors are opened. A C-Sec shuttle arrives, only to reveal several armed mercenaries on board. Abby dives to cover, seeing Shepard and Liara do the same further away. Over the deafening gunfire, a window shatters somewhere, and a large-sounding man lets out a bellowing war cry. The assassin peaks up to see a hulking Krogan pummeling his way through the men in the now grounded shuttle. In a few brief moments, all the mercs have been beaten to a pulp, and the Krogan warrior steps out, satisfied with his work.

"Wrex?" The Commander asks in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" The three stand from their respective hiding spots.

"Butting heads with the Council over Krogan expansion." The Krogan replies, picking up a large gun and handing it to Shepard. "Heard all the shooting. Didn't want to miss the party."

The introduction is cut off by the sound of an explosion and several windows breaking. Dozens of mercenaries pour into the dealership from the buildings above.

"Shepard?" Wrex asks as a gunfight ensues. "Do we have a way out of this?"

"C'mon, Wrex. I'm a professional." The Commander says confidently.

The small Assassin looks at the giant Krogan beside her. "That's not a 'Yes'." She quips.

"It's not a 'No'."

Observing the others' 'stay in cover, return fire' method, Abby opts for her usual approach:

Hack and slash.

She swiftly climbs over the decorative plant holder she was behind, landing with a roll and finding herself surrounded. This catches several of the soldiers off guard, and the Assassin uses the surprise to easily take two down.

One merc aims his rifle at Abby, but she pushes it away and skewers him in the throat, holding him in place for a moment, then throwing him into his unsuspecting teammate. The roll knocks the second man off his feet, and the Assassin finishes him off as he lands.

_"Approaching your position, Commander."_ Joker calls. _"Just following the gunfire! Sorry we're late, had to take the scenic route."_

_"Scenic route?!"_ Brooks exclaims. _"We nearly crashed four times! Where did you learn to drive?"_

_"And Brooks says 'Hi.'"_

* * *

**A/N Heh. The start should say three months later instead of two days.**

**Thank's to everyone who is sticking around for updates. I promise this story won't get abandoned. I haven't shelved a fic yet, and I don't plan on doing so any time soon. I appreciate all the favs and follows.**

**The request for writing help in the previous chapter still stands, and I'll add on another: Any and all feedback is welcome on all of my fics. As you all can tell, despite being a somewhat seasoned writer, there's always room for improvement, especially when it comes to this platform. Please let me know of things you all like or don't like, things I can improve on, or concerns about really anything. I try to reply within an hour or so, depending on the time. (Eastern US, or + 4:00 GMT) **

**As always, thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	16. Heist Planning and Internal Troubles

**Shepard's Apartment**

**Silversun Strip**

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

With Shepard, Brooks and Liara headed off for the casino, the remaining members of Normandy's crew find themselves in a massive apartment. Each of them have either formed small groups or are exploring the new, shiny environment. James is in the kitchen poking around in the cabinets, Tali is at the large windows watching the SkyCars whizz past, Joker and EDI are seated on one of the couches, the former quite upset about the happenings at the sushi restaurant, and Abby and Ash stand before a large fireplace.

"Now, I've had people sent to kill me before," The younger Williams begins. "But never an entire PMC group. You guys ever dealt with anything like this before?"

"No." Her Marine sister replies with an air of disbelief. "Never. Since the beginning, the Skipper has been trying to truly make the galaxy a better place. I couldn't even begin to explain why someone would want to do this."

"It does explain why that Brooks chick is here, though." Abby points out. "Shepard is a powerful person. Trusted Navy Commander, Council Spectre, Captain of the Normandy... Imagine what someone could do with that power."

"If I was in charge of the Normandy." Ashley muses. "I would pick an uncharted spot on the Galaxy Map and just...disappear."

"Despite how bad the galaxy needs us, I don't blame you." The Assassin agrees with a nod.

A comfortable silence falls over the two once again. Out of curiosity, Abby reaches out towards the flames in the fireplace, pleasantly surprised to find that while the fire itself is not real, it does radiate a comforting heat.

"So…" The young Assassin pries. "Under-Cover ops. Ever do any of those?"

Ash thinks for a moment. "Well...there was one time on Noveria where Shepard tricked this guy from Binary Helix into letting her wiretap him." Abby nods along, pulling her hands away from the 'fire'. "Then a little later, we helped this Parasini lady, who by the way actually _was _undercover, to arrest the Salarian boss of the port. Anoleis, I think his name was. Some corrupt bureaucrat." The Marine shrugs. "Small time compared to the stuff you've done, I'd imagine."

Abby muses modestly. "Mostly posing as a high ranking officer in the Alliance, Cerberus, a mercenary band, or some other company to either kill someone, plant something, or make something disappear. Taking side work for credits. Hell, once somebody from a construction company hired me to kill the boss of a rival contractor. Talk about a labor dispute, huh?"

Ashley eyes her sister cautiously. "Who did you have to kill while you posed as someone from the Alliance?" She asked, worried about the possible answers.

"Nobody you know." Abby says dismissively.

"Is that so?"

The Assassin glances up for a moment. "You're probably better off not knowing."

Ash gives off a judgmental glare. "Hey, it's not like I've committed treason or anything." Abby says, attempting to defend herself from her (sometimes) overbearing big sister. "I probably prevented it, if anything, and saved plenty of lives in the process."

The Marine grunts, not completely convinced. She looks away from her sister and finds herself gazing out the large window beside her. C-Sec has roped off the area surrounding the partially destroyed Ryuusei Sushi Bar. Tali watches the same scene with a glum look behind her mask. She'd told Shepard about one day wanting to go there, which the Commander had dismissed as a joke.

"Don't judge me, Ash." The Assassin's sudden voice startles the L.C. for a moment. "What? I wasn't."

"Yes you are. It's part of my job. It doesn't mean I always enjoy it."

"So the ends justify the means?" Ashley asks.

"Not always." Abby says after a moment's consideration. "I've done things I'm not proud of, killed some people who might not have deserved it, but it's not like there's anything I can do about it now."

"Sure there is." The Marine insists. "This fight we're in now, it's one _to be _proud of."

Abby looks up. "Redemption? Who says I want that?"

"From where I'm standing, it sounds like you do. And you can right now. Look at it this way: The Skipper's identity, her very _life _is at stake right now." She looks down for a moment. "Then again, when isn't it? But all kidding aside, she's going to need your help, and doing that, I think, will help you."

The Assassin simply hums noncommittally. _"Redemption?" _She nearly says aloud. _"That's so overdone. Even by previous Assassins. Either that or vengeance. Then again, I suppose that second one could be what I'm after. Arcturus Station, Cerberus selling out to the Reapers." _The pair look back to the apartment entrance as Commander Shepard, Doctor T'Soni, and Analyst Brooks return.

_"For now, all of that would have to wait."_

EDI is the first to approach the trio. Shepard passes something to her, exchanging a few words, before they split. The tired looking Commander slips off the heels she was wearing and sits down on one of the couches, wiggling her toes with a relieved expression.

"Note to self: Never wear heels again." Jane says mostly to herself.

"How'd it go, Skipper?" Ashley asks.

"Good and bad." Shepard says after a moment's thought. "The bad is that Khan was dead before we got to him. The good...is that we managed to pull some intel out of his computer, as well as had a brief conversation with whoever hired the mercs."

The Commander lifts one foot up and rests it on her knee, rubbing the ball of her foot with her thumb.

"Unfortunately." She continues. "We don't know who it was. Their voice was distorted. EDI is digging through what we found. Hopefully she'll find _something_."

"Who would go to all this trouble just to get to you?" Abby asks. "Who would have the tech, the money, even the resources? Most of your serious enemies are already dead, Shepard."

"Commander!" Brooks calls from across the room. "I think we have something!"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Jane says as she stands, heading in Brooks' direction.

"They're using a voice disguiser." Garrus muses as the three reach the table. "Those things are a pain in the ass to get around." Abby finds a spot at his side and looks over the data Brooks is digging through.

"Whoever it is…" She says. "They bought _alot_ of weapons."

"Indeed." Brooks pipes up. "Like, look at this. Mechs?! Who would need a mech for a job like this?"

"Well, the boss lady is kinda hard to kill." Garrus says cheekily.

"How many times do I have to say it, Vakarian?" Shepard retorts with mock annoyance. "_Stop_ calling me 'Boss Lady'."

"Yeah. I'm the only one who gets to give out nicknames." James pipes up.

"You're asking for it too, James."

Suddenly, Liara's VI Glyph makes a loud beeping sound, centering itself in the middle of the table.

"It appears this drone is preparing to rebel." Javik says. The Assassin had almost forgotten he was here, despite being quite the elephant in the room.

"I have detected the Commander's Spectre access codes in use at the Citadel Archives." Glyph explains.

"The Archives are going into lockdown." Brooks observes. "Whoever is trying to steal your identity, slash kill you, must be there right now."

"Hmm, the Archives." Garrus muses. "Always wanted to go there. I was never high enough on the C-Sec food chain to get in."

"What do we know about the place?" Shepard asks the group.

"Some of the most sensitive historical information and most closely guarded Council secrets." Liara explains. "Probably the most secure place on the entire station."

"I concur." Abby agrees. At everyone's questioning glances she continues. "Had to break in once to get some dirt on this Salarian Ambassador lady. That was not a fun day for me."

Ashley raises a brow at her sister from across the table, as does Specialist Traynor.

"Then what's the security like?" Urdnot Wrex asks. "If you got in, I'm sure we could."

"By now, it's likely been updated." The Assassin says, shaking her head. "Considering that, despite the difficulty, I _was _successful. We don't have to bypass it anyway. Shepard is our ticket in."

The Commander herself nods in agreement, turning away from the table. "That's it then. Everybody gear up, and lets- " She stops suddenly, and everyone looks to see a squat Volus holding a flat, square box.

"Uhh...who invited the Volus?" Jane asks.

"Oh. That's mine." James says. "Pizza. I got the munchies."

The Volus looks down at the order ticket, then up to Shepard.

"*Wheeze* Double pepperoni." He says.

"The Archives are huge." Brooks observes, looking back to the holographic map. "We'll have quite a bit of ground to cover. A shame you can't bring everyone."

"Who says we can't?" Ashley points out, popping her knuckles.

"I agree." Shepard says. "All hands on deck for this one."

"Alright, but, who gets to kick in the door with you?" James asks.

Everyone awkwardly exchanges glances for a moment.

"Ahem." Wrex aggressively clears his throat, to which Tali and Garrus respond in kind. The Volus delivery man does so as well, catching everyone off guard.

"Who's going to pay the bill?"

The Commander rolls her eyes, looking back at her crew.

"Abby, Ash, you're with me. Everyone else, form into two fire teams." She makes for the stairs to change into her combat armor.

"And somebody pay the Volus before the pizza gets cold."

* * *

**A/N Hi everyone I'm back from the dead!**

**A huge sorry is in order for this taking so long. As an 'essential worker' I've been working almost constantly (82 hours last week! On NIGHT SHIFT!) So my life consists of wake up, go to work, come home, shower, go to sleep, repeat. Every spare hour or so I spend trying to write at least _something_, and all of that has finally resulted in something worthy of publishing. The 12 hour nights may be coming to an end soon, so I'll have a bit more time to write. (Yay)**

**Hope everyone is doing well in self quarantine. Or if you're working, I hope things are going well there too. I have no idea when something else will get published, so please bear with me!**

**I've gotten a few follows and favorites over the last month or so, so welcome to all the new readers!**

**Thank you for reading, and see you next time!**


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